


Poems and Promises

by rageaceus



Series: Poems and Promises [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Asexual Reader, Neurodivergent Reader, Other, Queer Reader, Reader has ADD/ADHD, Reader has Emetophobia, Reader has depression, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Time Travel Fix-It, babies first fic, eventual polyamory, i cant write and thats everyone else's problem!, nonbinary reader, reader has anxiety, reader swears like a sailor just givin yall a heads up, this fic is a character study and that character is me, this is p much a rough draft so i'll probably rewrite this when it's finished, updated the tags bc they were Messy, very On Hiatus until i finish being hyperfixated with good omens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-01-16 07:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18516487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rageaceus/pseuds/rageaceus
Summary: It had all started with a flash, and a dizzying, swirling sensation you had only placed about twice before in your life. It moved both with you and through you, carrying the you in entirety to wherever it wished for you to go. Last time it had taken you from Gibraltar to London, 1863. Tracer and Winston had worked a week overtime just trying to get you back, but they figured it out eventually. This time, you had no idea, given your eyes were still closed and you were busy trying not to throw up.Basically an AU where reader is transported back in time and makes a mess of the Shimada boys and eventually ruins the Shimada clan.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> so this is babies first fic! the first like, three chapters suck bc i was just trying to get my story started. when i get better at writing i may rewrite this but for now im sorta treating it like a draft? anyways, enjoy the story! keep in mind that reader is heavily based on me and my personal experiences, and i want to open people's minds to how neurodivergent people think <3

It had all started with a flash, and a dizzying, swirling sensation you had only placed about twice before in your life. It moved both with you and through you, carrying the  _ you _ in entirety to wherever it wished for you to go. Last time it had taken you from Gibraltar to London, 1863. Tracer and Winston had worked a week overtime just trying to get you back, but they figured it out eventually. This time, you had no idea, given your eyes were still closed and you were busy trying not to throw up. 

 

_ Oh fuck, I’m going to throw up. _ The panic burns through you, hot and sharp, the fear overriding any other sensations. You fight with as much strength you can muster, lying on hard ground and breathing as deep as you can. The nausea is almost overpowering, and more than once you contemplate just letting it happen, and getting the vomiting part of this over with, but the very idea of that makes you more terrified than anything else. So you stay put, rub the tips of your fingers in that familiar motion down the middle of your ribs, and breathe deep and easy. 

 

After what could be fifteen minutes to an hour, you open your eyes and thank all holy gods that it is nighttime and there is no sunlight blasting inside your eyes. Blinking, you look around, finding that yes, you have been deposited in a very dirty alleyway. You stumble up to onto your knees, taking in everything around you. 

 

You attempt to shake off the confusion and run through your mental list of things to have if a spacetimehop ever happened again. Keys, wallet, phone? You’ve only got your phone. Damnit. Dirty alley, check. Modern technology? Going by the car with hoverpads you can see at the very end of the alley, check. Used condom about five feet to your left? Fucking check. 

 

Stumbling to your feet, you calm the last strings of  _ hot scared puke fear fear _ and walk out of the alleyway as casually as you can, only stumbling a little bit. The first thing you notice is that there are strangers in this street, if you haven’t had enough stress today. The second thing is that you can’t read any of the signs around you, because they’re in what looks to be a written Asian language. Bright neon store signs flash out at you, calling to you with words you can’t understand. The smell of rich, broth-thick soup invades your mind, and it smells so good you almost forget you’re somewhere that you don’t know.

 

And the third thing that absolutely sends you from ‘calmly freaked out’ to ‘holy fucking shit’ is the familiar alien monster right above the noodle shop you spy across the street. Taking a few steps into the road also proves that yes, the arcade with all of Genji’s high scores is right behind you. And it’s buzzing with people instead of being an empty free-for-all for people to dick around in. Holy fuck. 

 

Taking a few more measured breaths, you let your feet take you down the road, and you have to take a few more roads and turns than you remember. But eventually, you find yourself standing right outside the Shimada family castle gates. The red of the wood calls out to you, singing a song of familiarity, and you use it to truly ground yourself, running your fingers along the smooth posts and savoring the feeling of the wood underneath your fingertips. 

 

During this time, you think back on how you ended up here. Waking up and going through your phone for a half an hour, getting out of your beautifully cleaned sheets, putting on your also freshly cleaned pajamas, and going on a morning walk to the cliffs of Gibraltar too look out at the sunrise. Next, that swirling, moving sensation, and waking up at what looks to be at least three in the morning in Hanamura, Japan. What next?

 

‘ _ Well, the next thing to do is to find out  _ when _ am I. If I’m lucky enough, I’m in the rebirth era of Overwatch and I can just find my way to the nearest base, _ ’ you thought to yourself, and began formulating a plan on how to find out the time without, A. asking anyone, because you don’t know the language and have unnerving social anxiety, and B. looking like a freakshow.

 

As the gods may have it, you didn’t get any time to really formulate a plan before prior training taught you to hear the footsteps coming your way. You quickly slide into the shadows along the walls, taking out your phone and hopefully passing the part of human who was just leaning against this wall non-suspiciously. The footsteps get closer, falter for just half a second, and you look up to lay your eyes on one of the most gorgeous men you’ve ever seen. With bright green hair and an air of easy confidence resting around him, along with the ugliest orange scarf you’ve ever seen, there is no doubt about who he is and when you are. Because Genji has just climbed the gates over to his estate, and he glances over his shoulder and shoots you a wink before disappearing into the walls.

 

Double fuck.

 


	2. Chapter Two

When you were first transported from your home universe to this one, it was a true shock for you. Of course, you’d always fantasized about it, and acknowledged that time travel was often unfair of where it dumped you and that you’d have to find your way to Overwatch on your own. 

 

But knowing and living are two different things, and once you’ve spent your time on the streets as someone weak, gentle, and street-dumb, you’d had enough of the rotten side of humanity. In the end, however, Overwatch found you, and within the first week you had asked every fighter you came across to start training you.

 

In the nine months or so you had been with them, you were being trained by pretty much everyone on base. You had become everyone’s temporary student of the hour, and often spent your time either learning what the others had to teach, playing games with Hana and Lucio, or meditating with Genji and Zenyatta.

 

Reinhardt, Genji and Zarya were the ones who trained you the most often, Zarya being the one to help you build up muscle. You had embarrassed yourself by being unable to pick up a simple chair in front of about half the base, and had started crying, being the sensitive person you are. Before anyone had time to give you any pity, Zarya had strided over and immediately threw you over her shoulder and stated “Do not worry, little person. I will help you get strong! Strong enough to crush ten chairs!” And that was when she had formulated a workout routine for you, and now you were able to lift four of the chairs, two in one hand. You still had a long way to go, though. Good thing you had your routine and diet saved in your phone.

 

Genji helped you with doing ninja things, which included things like ‘having spacial awareness’ and ‘not being so noisy when you walk’. He taught you how to listen for people’s footsteps, how to tell when someone is lying to you, and how to be swift and quick. Hanzo, on the other hand, trains you on how to wield a bo, after you had expressed your desire to learn how to use the weapon to Genji. Hanzo, Genji and you go out every Saturday morning and practice with your chosen weapons. With personal, one-on-one training with people you desperately wanted to impress, along with a weapon that, in Genji’s words, ‘fit you like a sword fits its sheath,’ you gained a decently good skill with the weapon.

 

Reinhardt you had asked specifically on how to handle heavy-topped weapons, and often Zarya and him gave joint lessons for you. After training with your family for around six months, your new family was kind enough to make you your own weapon. With Torbjorn and Symmetra’s combined design, your weapon was created. Your bo was a piece of art, strong enough to match a solid oak bo staff, yet can collapse in on itself to fold into something much smaller. You never let go of your bo, keeping it next to you even while you slept. It also has interchangeable tops, one being a warhammer top and the other being a battleaxe top. Unfortunately for you, both of your tops were in the future, inside your room. On the good side of things, you had blueprints of both tops in your phone that you could probably get someone to hard light construct for a decent amount of money. 

 

You had a lot of things saved on your phone. You were never without it, and had admitted to probably having an unhealthy dependence with the damn thing. But hell, it had everything you needed. All of your comforting music, stim gifs, your Game Grumps compilations, your hundred of saved fanfictions, a language translator, and so much that your Overwatch friends had installed in the case of you getting lost in time again. The others had even installed a survival guide after your one-day trip to the Reconstruction Era. 

 

The early hours of the morning saw you hidden in the alley you woke up in, consulting the survival guide, specifically the ‘Urban Setting’ section of the booklet. Thanking both the gods and Winston that your phone had been upgraded to last at least a month on emergency power, you stood up from your position on the filthy ground, your bo staff weighing heavy in your pocket. Walking out of the alleyway, you stood in the middle of the street, looking out into the sunrise. You took a deep breath, and let the feeling of peace settle lightly in your chest. Dawn was always your favorite time of day, and despite the confusion of the whole ‘being thrown back in time’ thing, you were happy to experience it twice in less than twelve hours. 

 

As both your common sense and your guide said to do, the first thing you did was start collecting coins off the side of the street. Seeing as coins usually blended into the street side, you had to carefully comb the streets, and after about an hour of searching, you had roughly thirty credits, around ten in coins and a lucky twenty you had found near a bar. 

 

Tracking your position and making a self-made map of Hanamura, you went on your quest to find a geothermal blanket and a meal. As luck would have it, you found the blanket inside of a Walmart, a store that you both expected and didn’t expect to have in another universe. Not only was it a store you were familiar with, nobody batted an eye at your pajama pants and your oversized Sea Emperor t-shirt. Your survival guide suggested getting a backpack and a first aid kit, so you had gotten the cheapest ones you could find, and stuffed your newly bought blanket and kit inside.

 

After your brief trip to Walmart, you tracked your way back to the arcade, and looked for a meal at the udon shop that you had noticed earlier. Given that you were the plainest American on this side of the multiverse, you had no idea what to ask for. Eventually, you had settled on a ‘surprise me’ bowl of udon. It tasted unusual, something that you had never had before, despite the multitude of strange dishes your family forwards in time often made for everyone. The reminder of your home made you suddenly melancholy, missing your family already. By this time of day, you would have finished your morning meditation with Zenyatta and Genji, and would have begun noon weight lifting with Zarya and Reinhardt. You grew uneasy with the reminder that your routine had been messed up, the messy feeling creeping down your spine and mixing with your homesickness to put you in a foul mood.

 

As you began eating, scowling into your bowl, you looked around you and busied yourself with studying the people around you. There was a woman, dragging her crying toddler away from the arcade, the little boy screaming as his mother frantically tried to calm him down. Passing her was an older businessman, clearly in a rush by the way he nearly mowed down three people in his path. You laughed quietly to yourself, you walked the same way everywhere you went. There was an elderly woman and what looked to be her grandchild passing by the noodle shop, the child passionately explaining something, and the woman smiling and nodding along. Across the street, exiting the arcade was a young, infatuated couple, a young man carrying a small plush and his boyfriend leaning down to kiss his cheek, a smile on both their faces. You look down into your food, bad mood worsening. Despite being only nineteen years old, it had been a long time since you had felt love like that. 

 

Finishing your food quickly, you used your language translator to thank the shopkeeper, and began heading out to look for a homeless shelter. Despite your anxiety, you managed to ask a few locals as to where the nearest shelter may be, and masking your disappointment when it turned out to be on the other side of the city. One of them offered you a ride, but you declined, given that it wasn't a good idea to trust strangers, especially in a country you’ve never been in before. 

 

It took you most of the day to find your way to the shelter, winding your way through the streets, marking your way on a Hanamura map a friendly tourist had given you. You collected money as you went, building up your funds and desperately wishing Winston would just  _ hurry the fuck up _ with finding you. Being the near middle of spring, it would start to get cold at night,  so you hurried yourself into the shelter lobby. 

 

You went through the tedious process of filling out paperwork and answering basic questions about your health, before you were ushered to a very large room with near forty cots, about two thirds of them full. You took a cot, laid down so your phone was under your chest, and put your earbuds in so the Game Grumps could lull you to sleep. Tugging your blanket around your shoulders, your mind raced as you thought about your family in the future, the events of your day, and the Genji you saw last night.

 

He was so handsome. From his jaw, to his cheekbones, to his faded green hair and comically styled eyebrows, young Genji was definitely the looker. Ever since you had first laid eyes on the cybernetic Genji through your computer screen years ago, you had a little crush on the man. After coming to this new universe, your crush expanded and swelled, and you had to swallow your affections when interacting with the Genji from the future. You didn’t try to fool yourself, Genji was just a little under twice your age, and you simply aimed to try and become a good friend to him. But seeing him younger made your face completely flush and your heart pound. It was no wonder how he was able to be a playboy, with a face that attractive.

 

As you drifted off to sleep, the laughter of Dan and Arin in your ears, you thought about how much you wanted to go home, and how much you wanted to see this new Genji again.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im posting this at like 1:30 in the morning and this shits not beta'd or proofread so uh it sucks but hey!!! reader meets genji holy shit!
> 
> good song for the gym part is benton by c418

It was a week and a half before you realized that Winston was not going to find you as quickly as he did last time. It was two weeks until you saw Genji again.

 

Waking up somewhere that wasn't your bed was always an unpleasant experience for you. You loved your morning routine, and when you weren’t able to wake up with a pleasant weight of blankets and your fan blowing cool air into your face, you were pissy. Even more so when you didn’t have time to scroll through your phone, as you had to actually get up and take a shower. You often had to change shelters, given some of them kicked you out when you couldn’t show proper ID, and some of them had people that creeped you out so much you didn’t sleep at night. But two weeks into surviving on the streets again you had found a shelter that didn’t ask questions and was going to let you stay for three more months.

 

As you washed up in the shower, your mind wandered and you thought back on how you had been steadily earning cash, given that picking fallen money on the street wasn't enough to support healthy eating and access to a gym. You thought back to an event that had occurred your third day after getting warped.

 

_ You were walking back to the shelter after a long day of money collecting and practicing the local language, you had stayed out longer than usual and it was well past sundown. You found yourself taking a shortcut through a dark alley, hand shoved in your pocket and grasping your bo. You were filthy, tired and out of mental energy. You just wanted to sleep. _

 

_ So engrossed in your thoughts of frustration, that you didn’t hear the footsteps behind you, waiting to grab onto your arm and shove you against the alley wall. The wind was knocked out of you, and you stared in a mild state of shock as a knife was pointed at your throat. _

 

_ “ _ _ Himeiwoageru to watashi wa anata o kirimasu. Watashi wa anata no okane, soshite watashi ni yoi atai o ataeru koto ga dekiru don'na tawagoto mo hoshī _ _.” The man currently mugging you looked just as filthy as you. You felt pity for him, but it was quickly dissipated with the reminder that he looked as if was going to take all of your stuff and maybe kill you. You were shaken by the sudden movement, but you quickly complied. _

 

_ “Alright, alright, my money’s in my pocket, gimmie a second…” You stalled as you dug your hand into your pocket, grasping your folded bo staff in a firm grip. Before the mugger had a chance to react, you had taken your weapon out of your pocket, pressed the button to extend it to it’s full size, and gave the man a few solid hits before he dropped unconscious.  _

 

_ Before you could think better of it, you were searching the man’s pockets, looking for his wallet. You found it, and quickly took all the cash from inside. You dumped the coins you found in his pockets into your bag, and quickly folded your bo staff back up and fled the scene. _

 

Ever since then, you went out at night as mugging bait, robbing the people who were going to mug you. You’ve gotten hurt a few times, and even got grazed by a bullet once, but it was nothing your survival guide and first aid kit couldn’t take care of. Finishing up your shower, you hurried out and put on some clothes, a loose pair of airy sweatpants you had gotten at a thrift store, and a shirt that you had found on a would-be mugger that you just  _ had  _ to have. It even had tiny Pachimaris on it!

 

You collected your backpack with all of your belongings, and stopped by a cheap gas station to get a protein bar and a large bottle of water. Today was gym day, and you were not skipping on anything. Taking the half hour walk to a gym you had found with the lowest membership price in the area, you quickly checked in, locked up your things, and got to work. You exercised until your entire body burned, both in the good and bad way. You did Zarya’s workout and extra, to make up for the days you had missed while getting your shit together.

 

Wiping your sweat away with a few paper towels, you moved into the yoga room, taking out a mat and moving through a few poses, taking the yoga time to do a minor meditation session. Your music thrummed through your earbuds, your body movements and the beat of the song making your mind hum delightfully, reaching a small sense of peace among the chaos of what you had been experiencing these past two weeks. You stood up with your lets in a relaxed, shoulder width stance and without thinking began to sway your body to the beat, the movement feeling better the more you do it. You start to flex your hands and sway your body harder, but you remember you’re in a public space and you  _ can’t stim here, it looks weird. _

 

Your body comes to an abrupt stop, the pleasant feeling draining in seconds and is being replaced with rapidly swelling anxiety. You quickly gather your things, and headed to your locker, taking twice as long in the shower as you did this morning. You rubbed the soap hard against your skin, attempting to feel clean both physically and mentally. Your hands rubbed against a still-healing injury, and you hissed in mild pain. Looking at the scab, you recalled that you had gotten a good bit of money out of this one, it was worth the small cut you had gotten, even if it did require stitches.  As you exited the shower, you felt cleaner and more refreshed than you had in days, given at the shelters you were only allowed five to ten minute showers. 

 

Exiting the gym with a protein shake in hand, you let yourself wander the streets, observing the people around you and attempting to learn some Japanese. You pride yourself on having learned a few words, and one of the few things you had to look forward to for however long you were here was learning a new language. Maybe you could impress Genji by the time you got home, though by now you were starting to doubt whether they even wanted to find you.

 

What was giving them problems? Last time, your family had found you within the day, and all you had suffered was a few scratches from falling in the woods a couple of times. Even then, you had gotten communication with Winston within twelve hours. It’s been two weeks, why weren’t they here? Were they abandoning you? Did Junkrat break the machine that found you? Why weren’t you home already? You were tired and sad and you missed your new family more than you missed your home universe. 

 

Overwhelmed with sadness, you sat down on a bench, looking out into the last drops of the sunset. The sunsets here looked nothing like they did in Gibraltar, too red and not enough of that pretty pale pink. You stayed on the bench until late at night, listening to the night time conversations of people and steadily increasing club music pounding a block down away from you.  Getting to your feet, you shuffled along the street, mentally preparing yourself for another night of finding muggers. 

 

Middle of the night you found one, as you leaned against the wall to the same club you had heard earlier, feeling the vibrations soak through your body, making you relaxed and ready for what came your way. You watched as a few people slipped through the back door of the club, and as the last person rounded the corner, you heard footsteps quickly advancing towards you. You leaned your head back, playing the part of innocent bystander. As the footsteps got closer, you began to mentally count.

 

_ 5, 4, 3, 2, 1- _ Cold glint of a knife in dim streetlights, “ Watashi wa anata no subete no genkin ga hoshī nodesu. Anata no tawagoto o dashite, sore o isoide kuso !”  _ There it is.  _ Playing along and pretending to fumble for any money you might have in your pocket, you quickly extended your bo staff and hit the man’s wrist, then gave a too hard blow to his head. He crumpled, and you cringed, worry and fear shooting through you.  _ Holy shit, did I just kill this guy?  _

 

You moved quickly, checking his pulse before making a quick call to the local police, explaining that you had found an unconscious man near the club you were hanging around at. After hanging up, you moved quickly, covering your hands with your jacket sleeves and taking the money out of his wallet. You stood up, and fled the scene as fast as you possibly could, the adrenaline taking you a few streets over before you stopped.

 

Breathing deep and hard, you took out your phone and found your location on your map, routing your way back to the shelter you were staying at. You made it a good five steps before a voice rang out next to you.

“I’ve got to say, I’m impressed with the way you handled that guy.”

 

Your body came to a rigid stop, breath catching in your chest. You whirled around, hands reflexively grabbing your bo and extending it once more. Whipping around, you got into a stance and prepared yourself for another fight. Instead, you came face to face with a familiar head of green hair and soft brown eyes that seem to look right through you.

 

Genji hasn't bothered to move from his position, standing in front of you with a sly smirk on his face. The first two buttons of his shirt are undone, and you can see the prints of lipstick that pepper his throat and lead towards his chest. He’s obviously come from a night of clubbing, and it shows through the way that when he leans in close to speak to you once more, you can smell the alcohol on his breath. 

 

“You seem like a competent fighter. Where did you learn to wield a bo like that?”

 

You gape at him for a few more seconds, before collecting yourself enough to just barely play it cool. You know he’ll be able to tell if you try to make up any bullshit, so you just mask the truth as much as you can. Your words stumble out, rushed and spoken with little confidence. “...I had a friend teach me.”

 

Genji looks at you, smirk lessening a tad and his eyebrows narrowing slightly. He knows immediately that you’re not telling the whole truth, and his expression morphs to friendly confidence to that of someone who is determined to see the whole picture. He looks at you with a gaze that is meant to disarm you, charming in his confident, boyish way. Genji opens his mouth to speak, and you’re too distracted with the movement of his mouth to pay attention to what he’s said. You snap to attention, and sludge out a “What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” 

 

He laughs under his breath, and his gaze turns playful. “You know, you should really pay attention to when people are talking to you. You might miss something.” At this, you stiffen up, and let one hand go of your bo to feel for the money in your pocket, giving an internal sigh of relief when it’s all still there.  At your silence, Genji speaks again. “I said that I would like to meet the person who’s trained you. Your stance is near perfect.”

 

You blush, the compliment getting to your head way too fast. But you have to backpedal, and it takes you a minute of thinking before you can reply. “My teacher… isn’t from around here.” 

 

You curse yourself and your shitty conversational skills. Despite the inner monologue currently shooting through your head, you manage to hold an even expression on your face.

 

Genji huffs, before speaking once more. “That is interesting. Though, I do wonder what has brought you here to Hanamura?”

 

“I’m just visiting.” Briefly, you wonder if Genji is mocking you. Your outer self denies it, but your inner self knows he is. 

 

“Well then, visitor, where are you from? You sound American, am I wrong?”

 

“You’ve got that right. Is it obvious?”

 

“Very.”

 

You both have an moment of awkward laughter that turns genuine after you see that he is struggling in this conversation as much as you are. As much as you want to stick around and talk, and as much as it makes your heart flutter just to see him smile, you’re tired and you just want to go to sleep. So you stick out your hand, and tell him your name for a proper greeting. He gives a few more breaths of amusement, before completing your handshake and responding in kind.

 

“Genji Shimada. Nice to meet you, as well.”

 

You shoot him a genuine smile, and you feel a little sad when you have to close down the conversation. 

 

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now. It’s late at night, and I don’t want to be out any longer.” Genji’s face is unchanging, but you can feel the light mood drop a few degrees. But it shoots back up when he shoots you another charming smile, eyes crinkling at the edges. 

 

“Would you like me to walk you home? It is not safe out here at this time of day. But you already know that, don’t you?” You chuckle, and accept his invitation on the condition that he can only follow you halfway. When asked why, you gave a coy smile and replied.

 

“I’ve got to keep my secrets in a city like this. Besides, why should I trust someone I just met with the knowledge of where I live?”

 

The conversation between you two flows as he walks you back to the shelter, conversing about simple things. Genji tells you he had only visited America twice, so you were sure to fill him in on all the details that he had missed. As you talked, you watched the mask of playboy confidence slip to show someone who genuinely enjoyed the conversation. At your halfway point, you separated from him with a gentle goodbye, but not before he insisted on getting your number. 

“So you can tell me more about this Florida man!” Was his cheerful excuse, smiling and waving as he shot off into the darkness. You stuck to the safer streets on your way to the shelter, exhausted and ready to slip into sleep.

 

It was only later that night as you were falling asleep that you realized that you actually had Genji’s number, and that thought make you so exited it kept you up for another ten minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> google translate is my best friend :) (tdlr i know it sucks but i cant think of a better way to do that lmao)


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo!! i have a lot of plans for this fic, so things are going to come kind of slowly. im suspecting this poor thing is going to have a lot of chapters, so thank u for being patient and reading <3

The next week went on exactly like the last few. Wake up, shower, go to gym, shower, go eat, steal money, go sleep. Except you now had someone to text. Your phone was close enough in time to connect with the global cellular program this world has set up a few years back, and you were forever thankful for it. Despite not getting any messages from Winston (or Lena, or Hana, or Lucio, or Zarya, or…) but you did start to text Genji regularly. You hadn’t met up again, seeing as he was busy with either going partying or ‘family stuff’.

 

 _Family stuff my ass,_ _yakuza lookin’ motherfucker._ Despite the lack of physical interaction, you took great joy in sending the copious amounts of memes on your phone to him. Your favorite moment was introducing Lucky Luciano to him, and he sent you a picture of him doing the You know I had to do it to ’em pose half naked in his room, drunk as a skunk and about five minutes from passing out. That picture is now your background, and you smile to yourself every time you see it. Texting Genji was always an adventure, and you often found yourself helping him with his written English whenever you two talked. In return, he was slowly helping you with your Japanese.

 

You found out quite a lot about this young Genji during the week that you’ve known him that your older Genji never told you. He always sad he was a ‘reckless youth’, and left you up to your imagination. Genji never did tell you how self-centered he used to be, though. Or how sheltered he was to the suffering of the poor. A few off-handed comments made you realize how much he didn’t know outside his own little world. Neither of you had mentioned what he found you doing that first night, and you wanted to keep it that way.

 

You haven’t yet stopped your money hunting ways, but you have noticed more police patrolling the area at night. Figures that one of your ‘victims’ said that they got mugged to the police. The idea that the police was most likely looking for you was terrifying for you, but it was what you had to do to survive. You didn’t yet know of any jobs that didn’t ask for ID and a resume, and to be completely honest you weren’t eager to stay in Hanamura. But Winston needed you nearby in order to rescue you, so you stayed. Plus, you didn’t have enough money for  a plane ticket.

 

Every morning when you woke up, you sent him a good morning text. It was mildly clingy, sure, but despite being in a city full of people, you were terribly lonely. Even at the moment, sitting on a bench and being passed by thousands, you missed having your friends nearby. There was only so much human interaction Game Grumps playthroughs could make up for. 

 

You were desperate to get out and do something that wasn't working out or mugging mugger. As much as you loved routine, your current schedule left nothing to derive joy from. So, after getting a moderately large sum of money from what you were sure was a low-class gang member, you decided that the next day was going to be your ‘day off’, so to speak. You shot Genji a quick text, asking him if he could make time in his busy schedule to show you where a park was. You could easily look it up on your maps, and you have many times, but you wanted to hang out in person with someone, even if it was with this Genji who seemed so much like your own, but not. Despite yourself, you could already tell his young, brave, and sneaky attitude was growing on you. His response came some fifteen-odd minutes later, short and to the point

 

**Genji**

**Sorry, can’t make it. Don’t feel too well :(**

 

Your eyebrows furrowed in worry. Quickly you texted him back.

 

**Awwwh! Sorry to hear that, partner!! Hoep you feel better soon!!!!**

 

Only noticing your typo after you sent the message, you shrugged and pocketed your phone, music flowing through your headphones. You would just visit the park alone then. That’s fine. It’s cool. You’re totally not completely disappointed or anything.

 

Despite the bad feelings coursing through your veins, you started to head to the park, the sun setting as you made your way through the streets. You desperately hoped the swing sets were empty, it had been so long since you had a good maladaptive daydream session. Eager to immerse yourself into fantasy and close yourself off to the world, you hurried to the park.

 

You nearly whooped for joy when you got to the park, swing sets blissfully empty, as well as the rest of the area. You hopped onto the highest swing you could find, not wanting your feet to scrape against the ground. You plugged your earbuds into both of your ears and began to swing your feet, losing yourself between the music and the motion as you slipped into your own head.

 

Nearly an hour later, the sun had set and the streetlamps were casting a calm glow onto the park. The air was light and cool, the residing heat of the day slipping away under the stars. You opened your eyes and looked around you for probably the hundredth time on your swing set, a small spark of relief kindling as you realized you were still alone. You popped off your earbuds and let the sounds of the night fill you with calm.

 

Rambunctious yelling started off quiet, and got louder every second. You looked towards the sound, and saw a group of young, obviously intoxicated young people stumbling along the road. You watched them as they got closer, and suddenly your eyes were zeroed in on a certain member of the partygoers. The one with green hair. The one that was laughing as the others all looked towards him for approval. The one with a dragon tattoo curling down his right arm, jacket hanging around his waist. A woman linked through one of his arms.

 

_ The son of a bitch lied to me. Motherfucker! Really?  _ Hurt coursed through you, as you watched Genji and his friends stroll down the street, most likely looking for the next club to attend. You stared until he passed the street, his clique moving out of your sight. You felt a few tears well up in your eyes, and no matter how much you tried to blink them away, a few fell out, getting on your hands sitting lax in your lap. You sat for a few more minutes, trying to corral all the feelings rushing around inside of you, before managing to mentally wrestle them into a corner and shove them in a tightly capped bottle. You’d deal with that in the morning. Right now, you had a cot to get to, and a playthrough to listen to.

 

Getting up off of your swing, you noticed more people walking down the street. You paid them no mind, not until you heard a vaguely familiar voice. You were only able to pick up on one or two words, but when you looked at the speaker’s face, you recognized him immediately. 

 

Son of a bitch, it’s Hanzo, speaking in harsh Japanese to two men in suits and dark sunglasses next to him. From the few words you could understand, and from what you knew about the two, he was most likely sent to find Genji. An idea formed in your head. It took about two seconds of debating, given it could either result in you looking cool, or getting pulled aside and questioned by Hanzo. They were coming closer, and before you could think on it more, you opened your mouth and met eyes with Hanzo. This is what that bitch gets for ditching you.

 

“Genji went down that street, if you’re looking for him.” You lifted your hand and gestured to the street where Genji and his friends had stumbled down. Hanzo’s eyes widen a fraction, before hardening and he stomps towards you quickly. Shit, that backfired immediately.

 

“How do you know my brother?” Spoken like pure poison. Hanzo looks completely furious, and you feel yourself panic, but you take a breath like Zenyatta taught you, and remember that it’s not you he’s furious at.

 

“I’m just a friend of his. He talks about you sometimes, and I decided I’d help you out. He looked drunker than a skunk though, so good luck with that. Good night, Hanzo!” You waved as you sidestepped around Hanzo and his bodyguards, politely smiling as you bid him farewell, and powerwalked the fuck out of there as fast as you could. Hanzo stood for roughly three seconds, before whipping around and speed walked down the street, moving so fast his bodyguards had trouble keeping up with him, muttering Japanese curses you could hear from all the way down the road.  _ Poor bastard, no wonder he has such a stick up his ass. Even in his twenties, still gotta look after Genji... _

 

Your night was lit by the moon, your walk to the shelter uninterrupted except for stopping to look at the tiny pigeons pecking at the ground. After signing into your shelter, you went to go curl up on your cot, setting your backpack down beside your bed, locking one of the straps to the cot, and settling into your usual position with your phone under you and your blanket on top of you. You curled up as much as you could, listening to the breaths of the other homeless around you, and wishing that you were in your own bed, somewhere but here. It was pretty much nightly routine for you, to sit and wish for what you didn’t have as you fell asleep. 

 

You didn’t sleep well that night, mind swirling with hurt and confusion and anger. You didn’t have enough money for more than a few days at a hotel, forget an apartment. You couldn’t get a job due to not having any paperwork, and you haven’t had any communication with your family since you got warped here nearly a month ago. 

 

Tossing and turning all night, you rose before the sun in search of a healthy breakfast instead of a protein bar. With how little sleep you had gotten, you were most likely going to have to take today off as well from mugger-hunting. You took a short, lukewarm shower and headed out, feeling better as the grimy sweat and smell of  _ outside  _ fell away under the cheap Walmart soap you owned. Slinging your backpack over your shoulders, you waved goodbye to the lobby person, who looked at you with dry and tired eyes before just barely waving back.

 

You went out to a breakfast place that was open 24/7, you can’t really remember the name given how tired you are, but you can remember your usual order. You use your translator to talk to the waitress and as she leaves to go take your order to the kitchen, a man turns his head two booths away from you and your mind has a small moment of recognition. You stare at them, trying to place where you’ve seen them before, but you’re so tired and your eyes are too blurry to make out their facial features from across the room. You stare until you realize,  _ Oh shit, I’m staring,  _ which by that point has been too long a time, and you can pretty much taste the irritation rolling off the stranger.

 

You busy yourself with your phone until your food arrives, and you dig in with gusto, your mind clearing up a little with ice water and pancakes in your system. By the time you’ve given the server your cash, you stumble out, and your brain is still scrambling to try and remember who the fuck that guy two booths down is. It’s a lost cause, however, because you can’t remember faces for jack shit. You sigh with frustration, and head down to the gym, ready to do your sets and make your body stronger. You have to, with how you’ve been making your money. You’re pretty sure stealing from a possibly-gang and/or yakuza member is not going to go well for you.

 

You head down the street, and maybe if you hadn’t been so lost in your thoughts, you would have seen Hanzo following you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dude i have SUUUUCH a hard time writing asshole characters. its like, my kryptonite. im so sorry reader, but we have to realize genji isnt all sunshine and rainbows. genji's a fuckin snake but he gets better, i promise!


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i spent like four hours yesterday hackin this baby out and a good two hours of today so thats why it's up so fast!! probably going to take a while longer for chapter six to come out, but it's getting good!! i have discovered that i cannot name chapters and i should probably go back and unname them before they get any worse

The next time you actually saw Genji again, you were passing by the Hanamura arcade on your way home from the gym. You had just come from the laundromat, so your clothes were clean and fresh. Humming and smiling your way down the street, you stopped to look into the arcade, and you were allured by someone playing Dance Dance Revolution so hard you could pretty much taste the sweat dripping down their back. You joined the crowd of onlookers, watching as this one-man-dance-machine destroyed the game with sheer force of will. As they completed yet another level on the highest difficulty, the whole crowd roared with applause. You stuck your fist up, cheering them on. But freshly-dyed neon green hair stuck out against the crowd, and despite yourself you shoved your way through people, accidentally shoulder-checking people at worst and bumping them at best as you made your way towards Genji.

 

The second you got near him enough for him to turn and send a charming smile your way, you prepare yourself to not let your saltiness seep through. But you are actually glad to see him, you’ve had little actual human conversation since talking to Hanzo nearly two weeks ago. You’ve still texted Genji regularly, and he seems to be opening up little by little. He’s even started to actually text you about his brother, constantly complaining about how Hanzo is forcing him to ‘do family stuff’. That excuse makes you amused every time. 

 

“Hey there stranger, how have you been? It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen you!” You cheer, and go to nudge him on the shoulder with your own shoulder. It doesn’t work, because your shoulder reaches his mid-arm, but it's the thought that counts. He smiles and nudges you back, and if you hadn’t been working out it would have tossed you back a little. 

 

“I’ve been alright. I haven’t seen you in a while either, I’m glad to see you’re doing alright!” He sounds genuine, smiling like the goddamn sun and nearly sending your poor heart into an early death. You smile, and then turn your head to watch the Dance Dance person nearly miss a step. The room gasps, and you and Genji gasp with them, smiling when the superhuman recovers from their near slip-up. You look at Genji, and he meets your eyes. A breath goes between you two, before he’s grinning impishly.

 

“Do you think you could give them a run for their money?” You laugh, waving your hand as you respond.

 

“Nah, that dude’s way too fuckin’ fast for me. I’d probably only be able to play on easy or some shit.” You chuckle, smiling as he issues you a challenge. 

 

“C’mon, one versus one. Dance Dance Revolution. I’d even give you a head start.”

“Hell no, you’d kick my ass!”

 

The evening is spent playing arcade games, Genji stomping you on each and every one of them. He completely dominates the board, you have no chance of winning against him. Although, you do give him a small run for his money in Pachimari Panic, a game you, Hana and older Genji spent too much time playing. Your conversation comes and goes, and you find yourself reconnecting with him. You can see the Genji you know inside of him, it comes out in little sparks and bursts. Despite only hanging out with him for a few hours, you feel as if you’ve known him for years. Genji seems to feel this as well, commenting on it as the sky is turning navy and giving way to twilight.

 

“You’re so… _ easy _ to be around. I forgot how much I liked talking to you.”

 

You blushed deeply, feeling the warmth spread all the way to your chest. You know by the tone of his voice, he’s being truthful, and it makes happiness bleed through you. As you approach your split-up point, you find yourself sad that you have to split up. You had always felt exhausted after hanging out with friends for years, and it makes you feel just the slightest bit nostalgic that you’re sad to split up with your friend for the night. However, you’ve grown these past few years and instead of throwing a tantrum as six-year-old you would’ve done, you just smile and wave goodbye, letting out a loud laugh as he throws a joke over his shoulder. Letting the warmth spread throughout your body, you toss one back, and the warmth intensifies as you hear his distant laughter.

 




 

Days come and go. Genji starts to actively text you to hang out, and your routine beings to have some color bleed into it. One day, it’s back to the arcade. The next, it’s wandering through downtown, gazing through all the shop windows and racing each other down the streets. You finally manage to get him to hang out with you at the park, after days of pestering him about it.

 

You both relax on the swings, the exact same ones you saw him with his other friends. You’re rocking back and forth lightly, toes still touching the ground. Genji follows your pattern. Genji’s wireless earbuds are shared between you two, and you’re introducing him to the Game Grumps. You’ve got your screen held between you two, both of your hands reaching out to support the device. Genji’s laughs are louder than your own, given you’ve seen these moments hundreds of times, but his merriment is infectious, and you find yourself laughing as hard as you did when you first heard it.

 

It’s one of your favorite nights, just sitting there with him, wheezing your way through classics like Mark Zuckerberg, Lose a Turn and many other moments. By the end of the night, you part trying to do the worst imitation of Dan and Arin as you can. You fall asleep and wake up with the dopiest smile on your face.    
  


It’s even better when, the next time you both meet up, the first words out of his mouth is, “How’s it goin’ dudes?” In probably the worst American accent you’ve ever heard. 

 




 

You’re both in the arcade again, this time you’re both saddled up against a claw machine. You’ve already wasted at least twenty five credits, and you’re both taking turns trying to get every plushie in the machine as you possibly could. Genji has two, and you have three, by some wild stroke of luck. You’d suggested slowing down about ten credits ago, but Genji assures you he has money to spend, so you let yourself get pulled along for the ride. 

 

You’re leaned over him, shittalking him directly into his ears. He’s trying very hard not to crack up, and failing when you lean closer to his ear and whisper as quietly as you could.

 

“C’mon bitch, I know you can’t do it. You’re contemplating, you’re moving the claw, have you even selected a plushie yet? You’re so gonna mess it up, you fucking hoe. You’re so gonna miss it, I know it-”

 

Genji restrains a wheeze of laughter, “Stop it! You’re not going to make me lose.”

 

“-you know you’re gonna lose, you little bitch. You know it, I know it, I can taste it, it’s fucking  _ palpable _ how much you’re gonna miss it- HAH!” You shout with victory, the claw missing Genji’s spied upon plushie by a few centimeters. He lets loose a short cry of frustration, hands going up to his hair. You’re laughing too hard behind your three plushies to really give a damn, still shouting in victory.

 

“See! Lose a turn, bitch!” Genji laughs at that, and by the end of the night you’ve been told off for volume and swearing by the arcade manager, getting out of being banned by Genji’s charms alone. He comes out victorious, the best five plushies out of your four, but you aren’t mad about it. You’re just happy you get to hang around with him.

 




 

“Watch me do this sick kickflip! Bitch!”

Spoken the second he turns around and executes a flawless flip from atop of a bench. You roll your eyes, and laugh when he turns around and shoots a silly face at you. You give him a warm smile, your eyes sparkling. “This whole afternoon you haven’t gone a sentence without cursing. I can’t tell if you’re imitating me, or if I’m actually growing on you. Bitch.”

 

He grins back, and you suddenly want to kiss him. You squash that feeling down, and shove it into a bottle, before following Genji as he dashes off to do god knows what.

 




 

A late night phone call and an offhand comment leads to Genji talking about the women he has seduced in his lifetime. You’re listening, and only half thinking when you ask if he’s ever let the boys have any fun, too. You hear him go quiet, and it's a second of silence before a quiet confirmation echos over the speaker. Your smile goes wide, and you’re quick to reassure him.

 

“It’s okay brother, I’m queer too.”

 

He breathes a sigh of relief, and the conversation shifts to an in-depth conversation about LGBTQA+ matters. It’s a conversation you’re well versed in, and you grin as you spend your night relating stories back to one another. He’s confused when you tell him you’re nonbinary, but once you tell him what it means he’s on board for it. 

 

“So, you just like to use they/them?” 

 

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Dude, have I ever told you about this one time…”

 

It’s a good night.

 




 

Some nights aren’t so great. This time, it’s roughly four am, and you and Genji are sitting inside of a 24/7 McDonalds. Your food has long since been consumed, both you and him have had a rough night. You’ve had to patch yourself up after a rough scuffle trying to get more money tonight, you were right about more gang members coming after you. It’s starting to get too difficult to handle, and you’re afraid of the day you go against more people than you can fight, but you need the money. Genji always pays for your hangouts when it calls for it, and you wanted to be able to afford at least dinner, once. Your shelter is getting close to the maximum time limit, and you’re going to have to find a new one, soon. 

 

Genji is going through his own problems, though all he’ll say is more versions of ‘just family stuff’ than you can count. You click through your phone, and no matter how many memes you show him, all he can offer is a small smile. He’s tired, the hangover is creeping up on him and he’s still a little bit drunk from whatever he’s gotten up to tonight. He looks miserable, and you slide into the booth next to him, and wrap your arm around his shoulders into a hug. He sits up a little straight and hugs you back, arms wrapping around your small form. When you pull away, he looks at you and goes quiet. 

 

“...Thank you.”

 

You smile, tired but still happy. Roughed up, but glad to be around him. “It’s no problem, buddy. Want me to walk you halfway?” 

 

He agrees, and you use your credits to pay for the meal, it being cheap enough for you to afford. You help him home, stopping a few streets from the dragon gates that lead into the Shimada Estate. Giving Genji an understanding look, you both share one more hug, this time lasting longer and tighter than the one at McDonalds. You watch him until he hops over the fence, and you return to your shelter. 

 




 

“I don’t know if you know this, but I don’t really have a lot of money. It’s like, most of the reason I haven’t paid for anything and I feel super guilty about it all the time.”

 

He gapes a little, sitting across from you in the booth you’re at. Genji looks a little shocked, blinking it away quickly. You’d been on the topic of haircuts, from Genji arriving to your lunch meetup with deep violet hair. Your hair had grown out, the shaved bits starting to look wild and messy, the top near constantly flopping into your face. He’d carelessly asked you why you hadn’t gone to get it cut, and you had to break the news to him. He looks mildly shocked, before straightening his face back to ease. The conversation continues, and right after lunch he takes you to get your haircut. The fresh shave feels amazing, and you don’t notice the cash he’s slipped into your pocket until hours later.

 

It makes you a little miffed to think that he might pity you, but you remember what your Genji told you, once. 

 

“I was a reckless youth, and in my selfishness, hurt many people.” You grin as you realize that Genji has changed, and you allow yourself to think for just a second, that it’s because of you.

 




 

Its early morning, and you’re at the gym with Genji. You’re both sitting down after your workout sessions, your hair still mostly wet from your shower. The shower had been a cool one, because Genji had decided to work out in only a pair of shorts, and you had felt your face flaming the entire time. The conversation drifts, before it lands on family, and suddenly Genji is telling you about Hanzo.

 

“He’s my brother. Stubborn, stuck-up, and is always very… what is the English word? Moody! Yes, that’s it. He always does what father tells him, no matter what. Even if it’s something he hates, he’ll do it.”

 

You nod along, listening to him talk. “Every time he comes after me, it is always ‘Genji, you have disappointed our father,’ and ‘Genji, you are a disgrace,’ on and on! It feels suffocating some times. Both in and out of home.” He looks down, and you can see the sadness break through his eyes. You decide to lighten the mood, before he can too deep into thought. 

 

“He sounds like a jackass. I’d love to meet him.” That brings the smile back on Genji’s face.

 




 

You’ve seen Genji drunk before, and you’ve seen Genji high before, but this is something else entirely. He’s hammered unlike you’ve ever seen, you can’t understand a word out of him and he can’t even stand up straight. He’s mumbling nonsense, rolling around and giggling ever so often. You look closer at him, and you smell weed and alcohol, and you think you see some residue of white powder inside of his nostrils. So, not really knowing what to do, you take out your bottled water out of your backpack, and splash it on his face. He sobers up just enough for you to drag him to the nearest hotel. 

 

He’d called you at roughly three in the morning, your ringtone waking not only yourself but the other residents of the room. You whispered a quick sorry, and rushed into the lobby to answer. It had been one of his friends, explaining that Genji was beyond fucked up and they didn’t want to drag him around anymore. You give a long sigh, before asking for the address, not surprised when they take a few minutes to send you his location. You find him outside of someone’s party, sat against the wall and gazing out into the air, giggling and talking gibberish to himself. 

 

You check him in, and because you’re not willing to take his money while he’s this fucked up, you pay for his room. It’s a decent hotel, and you have to pay extra for getting a room on such short notice. It costs nearly five hundred credits, and that leaves you with about fifteen to your name. You cringe, but you’ll worry about it in the morning. It’s a challenge to drag your nearly unconscious friend upstairs. It takes all of your strength and more to haul him into the room, flopping his body into the bed as you pant for breath. Genji mumbles more, sniffs, and then lets out a low moan.  _ He’s probably feeling all that shit he’s fucked himself with. _

 

You take off his outer layer clothes, leaving him in his green tank top and his pants. You go to the bathroom and soak a washcloth in warm water, wringing it out before you come back, wiping the sweat and the… _ stuff _ away from his face and nose. You wipe down the rest of his revealed skin, taking note of how feverish he is.

 

His tattoo distracts you, and this is the first time you’ve gotten a good look at it. It’s like Hanzo’s, winding and it takes up the whole arm, but it’s a beautiful shamrock green, and when you press your fingers against it, you swear for a second you can feel winding scales underneath your fingertips. You stroke the tattoo, and speak aloud to the dragon underneath.

 

“If you’re the one keeping him alive through all this, thank you. I appreciate it, and I’m pretty sure Genji does too.”

 

You don’t feel anything else, but if you focus hard enough you can hear faint, light roaring, like it’s coming from a house two blocks down. You give the tattoo a few pats, and walk back to the bathroom to brush your teeth.

 

When you come back, you turn Genji on his side facing the edge of the bed, and place a trash can underneath his face. It sends red hot fear through you to think of the vomit that’s going to happen in the morning, but you’re so tired and worried that it outweighs the stress that comes from phobia-induced panic. You settle into the barely comfy office chair, plug your earbuds into your ears, and turn it up loud enough to sleep to.

 

By morning, your prediction is correct. You’re woken to the sounds of vomiting, and you cover your eyes and turn up your music as loud as you can, barely hearing Genji running to the bathroom and continuing his porcelain worshipping there. The smell fills the room, and you run to the bed and take off a pillowcase, tying it to your face, and waiting until you couldn’t hear any more sounds for at least ten minutes. Reaching into your backpack, you pull out some small bottles of stomach medicine, and take two. Slowly, you relax in your chair and got to work breathing as calmly as you could with Genji tossing cookies in the bathroom. As soon as it sounds like Genji has moderately recovered, you take the medicines you have out of your backpack, and hesitantly walk into the bathroom.

 

Genji is curled up by the toilet, panting and sweatier than before. He groans, and rolls over, clutching his head between his hands and shaking. You fill a glass of water, before reaching over and gently coaxing Genji to a sitting position, raising the glass to his chapped lips and letting him drink slow sips out of the glass. You leave a few medicines next to him, and leave him as you go collect the garbage can and rinse it out as best you can in the bathtub without looking at anything. The whole deal has made you horrifically nauseous and stressed out, but the medicine you took earlier makes it thousands of leagues easier to stomach the whole thing. With the trash can cleaned up, you help Genji into the shower once he’s able to stand, leaving the bathroom when he’s safely inside the tub and conscious enough to help himself. 

 

He’s in the shower for about fifteen minutes, and you startle when a song suddenly breaks out loud enough to wake the whole fucking neighborhood. You dig for the source of the noise, and see that it’s Genji’s phone making the whole racket. He’s got a call coming in from Hanzo, and you have to restrain yourself from laughing at the profile pic. It’s Hanzo with marker on his face, clearly passed out, and you wonder how Genji isn’t dead from that stunt. 

 

Without thinking, you answer the call, putting the phone up to your ear only to yank it back away from a wave of furious Japanese. You try to speak, but you’re constantly cut off until Hanzo takes a deep breath. It’s your chance to jump in, and you take it.

 

“Hey, Genji isn’t at the phone right now. He’s currently washing away the sweat of an absolutely trashed night. I take it you’re looking for him?” Hanzo takes a breath to reply, and you brace yourself for a wall of furious words. Instead, you hear a heavy sigh, and you can feel the irritation and resignation through the phone. 

 

“Yes. I am his brother, and I wish to know where he is so I may take him home.” You nod, briefly forgetting he can’t see you through the phone, and hastily tell him what hotel you’re at, and the room number. Hanzo sighs, and he says that he’ll be there in a bit, and hangs up. You’re just putting the phone down when Genji stumbles out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel, and falls onto the bed. He looks at you with tired, exhausted eyes for a long time, and you meet his gaze with a half-smile and a question of whether or not he’s doing alright. He looks back up to the ceiling, and you’re met with only silence until he suddenly speaks up. 

 

“...That was my brother on the phone, wasn't it?” It’s said so quietly, exactly like a man who just realized he fucked up big time. You nod, and he looks back at you with an unreadable expression. You two stare at each other for a while, Genji looking miserable and horrible, and you feel so bad for him. When your staring contest reaches its crescendo, you swear you can see Genji’s eyes start to shine as you stand up and walk over to him, laying down on the bed and wrapping him up in your arms. He holds you back, not as tight at the other hugs he’s given you. You stay like that until there’s a sharp knock at the door, and you untangle yourselves from each other, and Genji sits up on the bed as you let Hanzo in.

Hanzo is alone when you answer the door, and he has the most tired, despondent look on his face that you almost wrap him in a hug too. He straightens his back, and greets you with his left hand outstretched. You trade names, and Hanzo looks at you, tired eyes meeting your own. 

 

“I believe we have met the other night before, correct?” You give an affirmative, before stepping aside to let Hanzo and Genji have their moment. They stare at each other, and you can feel the tension start to rise. At this point, you’ve cracked. You’ve stayed up past your bedtime, you’ve encountered your worst fear, and you’ve wasted all of your money in one night. You don’t have any more shits left to give for today, and that is what motivates you to end the Great Shimada Staring Contest of Shame and Dishonor, and drag the two out for shitty hotel breakfast. 

 

Genji and you eat like birds, and Hanzo doesn’t eat at all. You force conversation between the three, mostly engaging Hanzo in polite small talk. With your shithole conversation magic, you manage to turn the breakfast talk from forced and quiet to something similar to pleasant. Genji has perked up with food and medicine in his stomach, and by the time you and him have started shittalking the people around you, Hanzo has joined in with a few choice remarks. You’re the first one to laugh, and the mood is a few degrees lighter. With a particularly scathing comment addressed to the woman with the soccer mom haircut and a husband who looks as if he’d rather be anywhere else, the bad mood has given way to a relaxed atmosphere.

 

It’s a shame by the time Hanzo says they must leave, Genji immediately droops, most likely thinking of the shit he’s going to get when he gets home. Genji excuses himself to the bathroom, and the second he’s gone Hanzo’s eyes lock with yours. You match his gaze, and wait until Hanzo speaks first. 

 

“Thank you for looking after Genji last night. I… appreciate it.” You laugh lightly, giving Hanzo a smile.

 

“It’s no problem, really. Genji’s a good friend of mine, and I just wanted to make sure he was safe, is all. Although, if this is the kind of thing that happens often, do you think I could get your number? To make finding Genji easier, of course.” You and Hanzo swap numbers, and you make a mental note to remind Genji to send you another embarrassing photo of Hanzo to set as his icon. 

 

You balk when Hanzo slides you a couple hundred credits. “Woah, partner, what’s all this for?”

 

“It is for taking care of Genji. What else?”

 

You look at the money, and take it with a guilty look. It makes up for more than enough of the hotel expense. You thank Hanzo profusely, almost tearing up with how grateful you are. It means you can keep your gym membership this month. 

 

“It is no problem. Maybe you can use it to get out of that… place you’re living in.” Your startle, looking to Hanzo with a shocked expression on your face, before it melts off. If he knows about that, then he most certainly knows about what you’ve been making a living off of. 

 

“Figures you’d know, helicopter brother. I guess you know about what I’ve been doing, too?” He nods, and looks like he’s about to say something else before Genji strolls back from his bathroom visit, obviously trying to drag out the time until he’s reprimanded for having to have his brother fetch him. 

 

They leave, and you’re left alone. Later that night, Genji opens up about his family over the phone. You learn what his father does, what he’s had to train for. You had ideas, and you had heard stories from your future Genji and Hanzo, but you didn’t know it was that… bad. As Genji talks more and more about his childhood, you wonder what it’s like for Hanzo, and you state as much. 

 

Genji goes silent for at least two minutes. You let him think, and you realize that this may be the first time he’s ever truly thought about it. Alongside his confession, you finally tell him you’re homeless. You explain to him most of what’s happened, besides the time-warping part, and Genji interrupts you right in the middle to tell you that Hanzo has told him most of this already. Apparently after snitching on him in the park, Hanzo had been lowkey stalking you ever since then. You had a feeling someone was following you, and you tell Genji such, he gives a wet laugh before quieting down. A brief whisper of your name has your full attention.

 

“You know, I think you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. No, fuck that, I think you’re the only real friend I’ve ever had. Thank you. You’ve done more for me than anyone else.” You tear up, and by the end of the call, you’ve both cried a little. When he hangs up, you come to a clear realization.

 

Fuck waiting around to go back home. Nobody from back home has texted you in four months, and your best friend is stuck in a place that will destroy him and his brother. You want to get them out. You want to murder the entire Shimada clan. You want to put them on a plane and ship them off to America, where you can hide them just a little bit easier. And hey, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. 

 

The more you think on it, the better the idea gets. A plan forms as you think more, and you’re filled with determination. Now all you have to do is convince both Genji and Hanzo to come with you. That’s going to be the real hard part. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no, genji is not in love with the reader. yet. he's learning what a real friend is, give him a minute. and yes, getting genji and hanzo out of the yazuka is going to be the achievement of the century, and the biggest pain in the ass for me to write. thank yall so much for reading!!! and dont worry, our overwatch friends will be featured in the next chapter :3


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeehaw. pls leave comments, i love and treasure every single one. i also wanna mention that whenever the reader texts theres no name and its usually in lowercase to mimic the normal texting style im used to. the older characters use capitalization bc they're Old.

It happened while you were taking some downtime in the park one day. The cool air made you smile, everything about today was right. Genji and Hanzo were kind enough to pay for an extended stay in the hotel you brought him to, and you now had an actual bed to sleep on for the first time in four months. You were wearing your Sea Emperor t-shirt, the shirt that had come with you the first and second time you were warped somewhere, and it was the last thing you had of both homes. Your shower was long and warm, and you had a good workout at the gym. You had even been able to afford eating healthy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All in all, a great day so far. 

 

You were rocking on the swingset, coming down from a small time of maladaptive daydreaming. It was quiet, before suddenly you nearly fell off of the swing from the racket your phone was suddenly making. You quickly brought it up to your face, and you felt your entire body go slack from shock. You had over a hundred new messages, and the most recent was from Winston.

 

**Winnie**

**This is a test. Please text back within thirty minutes if you get this.**

 

Your hands were shaking as you started to reply, quickly typing out your text, tears already dripping from your eyes.

 

**holy fuck winston!!! holy fuck it’s been four months holy fuck**

 

You cry harder as you scroll through your messages, all of them being sent from your family back home.

 

**Lena LOSER**

**Hey love! Winnie said he’s fixing the machine right up, make sure to text us if you get these!! Sorry for blowing up your phone :P**

 

**Gunji <3**

**Winston is currently sending out the first text. I hope to get a response from you soon.**

 

**JAMIE JENKINS**

**yuo best be fuckign texitng us now!!!!!!!!! i mean it!!!!! you’ve been gone for so long goddamnt!!!!!!!! come back! im sorry i broke the thingamajig!!! it just got in the way!!!**

 

**Chibiusa 2.0**

**Winston told us he’s fixing the machine now. Should be sending out a message soon. Ur phone is probably fucked now LOL. Just so u know Junkrat broke the machine keeping u here. Also spoiler alert! You’re in another universe!**

 

You cry even harder, reading through all the messages. When you look at the very first messages sent, Genji, Zenyatta and Hanzo were the first to realize you were gone. It makes your heart pulse with warmth. They really had been looking for you, they didn’t forget you. You respond to Winston a few times, before saying fuck it and calling Lena. 

 

It takes a few seconds, but the second she answers its a cacophony of voices. You can make out Jamison’s over them all, squawking about how he should speak to your first. Lena and Hana are talking to you over everyone else, Reinhardt is booming with volume, and you can hear McCree laughing his ass off in the background. 

 

“Holy fuck guys, just turn on speaker phone and shut up for a minute!”

 

Lena and Hana yell for the others to do as such, talking over each other still. It takes a hot minute, but soon you get relative silence on the other side of the phone. The second nobody speaks, you take your chance.

 

“Alright so I’ve already read some of the texts, and James? I thought we were bros, bro,” Jamison giggles in the background, giving a quick ‘sorry mate’ as you continue “but some real shit has happened. Lemme get back to my hotel room and I’ll explain everything because it is one hell of a story!” 

 

You’re on your phone the whole way to the hotel room, answering basic questions from your friends. It’s well over two hours on the phone when you’re finally done explaining everything to them, it being a particular joy to explain the events of meeting the younger Shimadas. Two minutes into your explanation, the others made you pause so they could go find Hanzo, and they made you start again. 

 

Halfway through they stop you, Lucio’s voice ringing out.

 

“Hold up, did you just say a few months?”

 

Your brows furrow, “Yeah, so? What’s up with that? It’s been like four months already.”

 

The silence from the other side of the phone is palpable. You check to make sure the call didn’t drop, before calling out. Winston’s voice speaks first, and you suck in a breath of shock.

 

“It has only been about two weeks on our end. You’ve been there for four months?”

 

It’s another whirlwind of explanation and examination. Apparently, you’re in another universe, so time flows differently. “But that should not happen anymore,” Winston explains, “because the Temporal Vacuum is actually bringing our bubbles of spacetime closer to each other, which means they should be on the same wavetime. However, that will not stop your universe from moving faster than ours.” You sigh in relief, your pounding heart relaxing slightly.

 

“Thank fucking god. At this rate I was gonna be Reinhard’s age before you all found me.” The others have a laugh, and then it’s back to explaining how you met Genji. Hana, who knows of your crush on Genji whistles lowly when you, without thinking about it, mention how cute the younger Genji and Hanzo are. You cuss at her, and listen to her laughing. The mood starts to get more serious when you bring up the topic of the yakuza. You explain your plan to get this Genji and Hanzo out. Hanzo comments on this, and you can hear Genji’s thoughtful hum in the background.

 

“That is going to be quite difficult. However, I do remember experiencing… doubts about the clan’s integrity at the age I am at in your universe. This might just work in your favor.” The brothers start to converse about how a plan like that would move, before Jamison interrupts them with an impatient snarl about how he wants to hear more of your adventure.

 

By the end of it, you’re so exhausted you’re on the verge of passing out. Genji and Winston take pity on you and end the phone call, but not before everyone starts screaming enthusiastic goodbyes at you. You’re tired, but so happy your face hurts. You get cozy under the cheap hotel bedsheets and relax, almost immediately falling asleep. 

 




 

You wake up to more texts than you’ve had in days. You actually have texts from two different Genjis, the older one labeled ‘Gunji’ and the younger ‘Gayji’. You find the names endlessly amusing, and you text them both so. You even have a few texts from the older Hanzo, which is surprising. Your phone vibrates almost simultaneously as both of the ninjas give a response.

 

**Gayji**

**I know, asshole. Good morning**

 

**Gunji <3 **

**Good afternoon! You’ve told me many times.**

 

**I just love gunji so much. you. gun.**

**anyways, what’s the plan on getting you and hanzo out of the place?**

 

A faint tingle at the edge of your mind tells you that something is wrong, but after running through your mental checklist, you shrug it off and go to prepare for the day. While you’re getting dressed, you think harder on the plan to help Genji and Hanzo escape from the Shimada clan. You form a basic outline of what you’re going to have to do. 

 

_ One, make Genji and Hanzo sold on the idea. Step two, get fake ID to get on plane. Step three, find secret way of paying for plane. Step four, get on plane and cut all ties with Shimada clan. Wait, fuck, step two and a half, get Genji to take as much money from Daddy Shimada as possible.  _ You hum to yourself, pleased with the plan, and start to get dressed, still inside the bathroom. You pause as you’re putting on a shirt to look at yourself in the mirror. You take a minute at let your mind wander, and you absentmindedly look at the scars on your chest. You smile, remembering how much begging it had taken to get Mercy to perform top surgery on you. But ever since then, you’ve been so much happier with your appearance. Finally putting on your shirt, you walk outside of the bathroom to find Genji in your hotel room.

 

You startle, freezing up for a second and staring at Genji through wide eyes, the only noise escaping you a shocked wheeze of breath. Then you relax, and start to cuss him out before you realize a key piece of information. He’s holding your phone. He’s looking at your phone. You promptly freak the fuck out.

 

“Genji, holy fuck give me back my phone, how did you get in here, what the fuck?!? Fuck?!?” It’s worrisome when he gives up the phone without a fight. It’s even more so when he simply takes a seat at the end of your bed.

 

“That is not real, right? That should not be possible. Multiple universes should not be possible.” The poor guy’s in shock. You sit down next to him and pat his arm.

 

“Partner, your family has glowing dragons shoot out of your body and it’s passed on by blood. Or familial relations. Whatever. Of fucking course alternate universes are possible.” His head shoots up to look at you. You sigh, and prepare yourself for another long talk. 

 

“Listen, I came here from a different universe. Actually, two different universes. And this is going to sound really really weird, but in my home universe this is all inside a video game. Minus me, obviously. But Winston in my second universe fucked up a time machine he was working on for his friend, and it was in just the right spot to suck me into their universe.” Genji’s look of disbelief only grows, and you meet his eyes dead center. You maintain this eye contact, despite how much you hate it, so you can prove to him you are telling the truth. “As you’ve probably read in my texts, which I’m going to kick your ass for later, my friend Jamie fucked up the machine keeping me there and it shot me back out, except this was the closest universe able to catch me. So, I’m here now.” Genji puts his head in his hands, and you thank god you don’t have to keep looking him in the eyes. 

“When did all of this happen?” He sounds so overwhelmed. You put your hand on his arm and squeeze lightly, like you do when he’s upset. 

 

“About four months ago. So about a month before I met you.” He turns his head to look at you, and you offer him a genuine smile. “I’m really glad to get this shit off my chest. It didn’t feel nice keeping this from you, but it’s like, what am I going to tell you? ‘Hey dude I met three months ago, did you know I actually know an older you in another universe and I know how your life is going to go for the next fourteen years!’ You would have turned tail and ran like a motherfucker. And I’m like half sure you’re about to do that now.” Your smile turns sad, and Genji’s eyes dart down for a second. You know what he’s thinking, and it makes fear shoot through you.

 

“Please, Genji.” He looks at you, and you could tell him that you just want what’s best for his future. Or you could tell him the truth. Your next words come out cracked and wavering. “Please don’t leave me alone. You’re really one of the best friends I have ever had, and I just… don’t want you to leave.” You start to tear up, before tilting your head back and blinking, trying to desperately will the tears away. One falls anyways, and you feel a thumb on your face, wiping the moisture away. You look at the blurry outline of Genji, and you hate that you can’t read his expression. But you can just barely see the smile stretching across his lips.

 

“You are also the best friend I have ever had. I do not think I could truly leave you here. You are too important to me to simply abandon you. And who else is going to give me a run for my money at the claw machine?” You give a watery laugh, grasping his hand in your own and letting the bursting warmth of his words rush through you. 

 

“You know all of my claw machine grabs are just pure luck, right? I’m actual, real shit at that thing.” You both chuckle, and Genji gives a sigh.

 

“You know, I did think it was strange when I couldn’t find any sort of videos on the Game Grumps online. Hanzo also mentioned to me that he couldn’t find any sort of identification on you, and neither could his sources.” You nudge his shoulder with your own, looking around the room as you talk.

 

“Well, now you know why!” Your brain suddenly reminds you of something, and you cut Genji off before he said anything as you spoke before you could lose the idea. “Hold up, sorry! Did you read any of the texts about the whole yakuza plan thing? Sorry, I was just reminded when you mentioned Hanzo.” Genji nods, and this time he cuts you off.

 

“Why are you trying to get me and Hanzo out of the Shimada clan? What is your purpose?” You give a sigh, and pointedly focus on the bathroom as you explained.

 

“Well, like I said earlier I know what is going to happen to you over the next fourteen years, and I’m going to give the super short version so don’t interrupt me. Actually, can you pass me the comb that’s next to you? Thank you.” You run your fingers over the ends of the comb as you talk.

 

“So, from here on out this is what I know. I don’t know actual times, just events. Your father is going to die soon, so there’s that. The ‘clan elders’ or whatever the fuck they’re called are going to be total dickwads and gradually pressure Hanzo into doing worse and worse shit. Eventually they’re going to pressure Hanzo into killing you. Fucked up, right? Well, the madlad actually does it, and lucky for you the top Overwatch doctor saves your ass and turns you into a cyborg. While you’re busy working for Blackwatch and being angsty, Hanzo instead murders most of the clan elders and becomes an assassin for hire or something.” Genji is staring at you with his eyes wide open, shocked and clearly already shaken. You take in a breath and move on.

 

“Anyways, Overwatch splits up most likely due to Talon’s own select insiders getting inside and fucking shit up but that’s neither here nor there and you leave to go find inner peace. Eventually you meet this omnic monk Zenyatta and he teaches you how to not hate yourself, and you become all cool and calm. Last thing is Overwatch is recalled and you go have your dramatic reunion with your brother before dragging his ass to the Watchpoint. Those are the Genji and the Hanzo I was texting with.” 

 

You take a deep breath when you’re done, and give Genji a second to think it all over. His eyes are slightly glazed with too much information, and he softly curses in his language when it all hits. He thumps back onto the bed, and you go with him, still running your fingers over the comb and humming to yourself. You startle for the second time when Genji turns to look at you and gives a small, whispered “Holy fuck.” 

 

Laughter erupts from you, and with that the tension of the room seeps out. Genji laughs too, but it sounds more hollow than yours. “Your mind is fucking blown, huh? Shit’s wack, man.” 

 

“You said that me and Hanzo had a ‘dramatic reunion’? Is that why the group chat was called ‘Shimada Drama’?” You snort, grinning with all teeth as you remember the day that chat was made.

 

“Yeah, it is. Hanzo made a real big stink about it though, throwing a fit and acting like a real drama queen until we told him what he was being. A fuckin’ Drama Shimada.” Genji huffs in amusement.

 

“I’ll be sure to use that on him next time we have an argument.”

 

The both of you lapse into comfortable silence. You pick up your phone and scroll through, sending a few good morning texts to your family, while Genji puts his hands behind his head and takes it all in. You decide to tell the others about the fact that Genji now knows.

 

***9th Level of Hell***

 

**so uh sorry yall but my genji knows about the whole universe travel thing. he went through my phone like a ho ://///**

 

**Lena LOSER**

**Really? What**

 

**McCree**

**Well, shit.**

 

**Satya**

**That puts an impressive dent into our plans.**

 

**Chibiusa 2.0**

**Double Shit**

 

**Luci-OH**

**Triple Shit**

  
  


***Shimada Drama***

 

**ye so uh guys i fucked up and now my genji knows about all of this but he said he’s not gonna skrrt so fuck**

 

**Hanzo the Man Bow**

**I noticed. You sent a text to the whole group chat about it**

 

**yeah but i wanted you guys to know privately for reasons**

 

**Gunji <3**

**So what do you think we should do now?**

 

**i think im gonna talk to my genji more and see if i can convince him to leave the shimada clan. already told him about his future so its a probable yes????**

 

**Gunji <3 **

**Good luck!**

 

You sigh and put the phone down, the noise catching Genji’s attention. His eyes flit over to you and you look back at him. You decide to just drop the bomb already. “So, uh, how do you feel about leaving the Shimada clan? Now that you know what’s going to happen after all. I mean, I totally get it if you need more time to think and all. No big rush.” 

 

Genji looks at you for a few seconds, a deep expression written on his face. He’s silent for a few more minutes, and you get up to get yourself your bottled water. You’re in the middle of taking a sip when he speaks. 

 

“I think it is time for me to leave the clan.” You choke on your water. Genji sits up in alarm as you cough and wheeze. When you’ve recovered, you shoot him a nasty look.

 

“Right in the middle of me taking a sip? Thanks, jackass.”

 

“I didn’t know that you were drinking!”

 

“Whatever, ninja man. Let me finish my water.” 

 

You gulp down the rest of your water, and setting a reminder on your phone to refill it later before sitting back down on the bed with Genji. You meet his eyes, a soft, warm brown that fills your soul and makes your restlessness settle. 

 

“Are you sure you want to leave? This isn’t because I said so or anything, right?” You move your arm and take his hand in yours. You smooth your fingers over his own, and you feel the hot flush of love creep up to your chest. 

 

“Yes, I am sure. While I am able to indulge in… other pastimes with my father’s money, I do not want to stay here. You always talk about your life back home, although, that is probably a different home now.” You shrug, still running your fingers over Genji’s knuckles.

 

“Y’all have a Walmart here, I’m pretty sure my America is very similar to this one.”

 

“That makes sense.” He looks to the other side of the hotel room, where the lonely desk is by the shitty TV. “As you and I have spent more time with each other, I realized how differently you treated me. How differently you talk about your family compared to how I talk about mine. You speak of your family with the highest warmth, and you have said that you would die for them if they asked you to. I do not believe I would die for my family, not even if they demanded it.” You move your hand up to his shoulder, rubbing the muscle there in a soothing gesture.

 

“Genji, it’s okay. You don’t have to love your family, and you don’t have any obligations towards them. It doesn’t matter if you were born a Shimada, or whatever other bullshit they’ve told you, but you are ultimately the person who decides what you should do with your life. They don’t have to hold you, Genji.” You pause to look him in the eyes, trying to convey your sincerity through your gaze. “I promise you, if you want to run, then both me and my own family would have your back.” 

 

This time, he draws you into a tight hug, and when you feel wetness drip onto the back of your shirt, you simply hug him tighter. You hold him with all your strength, and you breathe in his scent. He smells unique, like expensive cologne and the same smell all boys have, along with the familiar storm essence that always follows the Shimada brothers. Hanzo smells more like a thunderstorm, all rain and electricity that curls in the back of your throat. Genji smelled like a tornado, always emitting a grassy, rainy scent with a metallic tang that dances on the roof of your tongue. It emits raw, unbridled power and it has the ability to completely put you at ease. You catch yourself breathing it in too deeply, and quickly let out the breath before breaking up the hug, going back to holding Genji’s hands and running your hands over the calloused skin.

 

“I want to try and make Hanzo come with us too.” Before Genji could retort, you cut him off again as you quietly speak. “Because he is under even more pressure than you are. I know he was raised for this, and I know there is a low chance of him actually coming with us. But I know him in the future, and he rarely acts happy. I want to give you both a chance at a better future, because I really do love you both. This clan will ruin you both, and I don’t think I could forgive myself if I just left Hanzo here to suffer.” _ And I don’t think my Hanzo or Genji would forgive me either _ is a thought you keep to yourself, not wanting to bring up the subject of them for at least another day or two.

 

Genji hums, his expression doubtful. He sighs, and relents. “I will see what I can do. Although, I cannot promise we will stop fighting. I am scared this is going to make an even bigger rift between us.”

 

You grin wildly, happiness erupting through your features as you quickly reach for your phone, typing out a quick message.

 

***Shimada Drama***

**the sparrow is on board with escape plan a, i repeat, the sparrow in on board with escape plan a!!!**

 

**Gunji <3**

**Yes!! Now we have a chance to fix our past.**

 

**Gunji <3**

**Wait, when did we have a plan A?**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally going to be a lot longer, but i decided to cut it short here bc of the fact that it was almost a week since i last updated and that is Unforgivable. It might be longer until i post the next chapter, because i suck at writing hanzo and im not well versed in emotional constipation, but also because im going to get a tattoo this week!!! im uber excited about it!! see yall dudes l8r thanks for stickin around <3


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo! i am aware this sucks. every chapter i say to myself, 'this is the one where genji and hanzo leave japan, and then everything gets interesting'! nope. you guys just get some classic reader/hanzo bonding instead.

You saw Hanzo again next week, inviting him to hang out with you and Genji at a local restaurant. The second Shimada Drama group chat had been made as Genji sat in your hotel room, this one appropriately labeled **_Shimada Drama 2_**. It confused and frustrated Hanzo to no end, to you and Genji’s delight. 

 

Standing outside the restaurant, humming away and playing with an ancient fidget spinner that Genji had found, you waited for the boys to show up. It was a classic Japanese sushi place, and you had begged Hanzo to come and show you more about his culture. You were very eager to not only learn more about the country, but to spend time with Hanzo as well. He was somebody you wanted to know more about, and you were determined to not only get to know him, but to get him out of the Shimada clan’s grasp.

 

Hearing a shout of your name, you looked up in time to brace yourself before Genji barreled you over. You were able to hold your ground instead of being toppled over, and it delighted you to see direct proof of your hard work at the gym. You gave a toothy grin and waved at Hanzo as he caught up to the two of you. Hanzo’s eyebrow quirked at the sight, but he said nothing besides a polite greeting. You patted Genji’s arm, getting his attention.

 

“Hey, I’m really glad y’all could make it! I’ve been looking forward to this shit for days.” Genji ruffles your hair, giving an amused grin when you squawk and bat his hand away. Hanzo looks away from the display, and turns to head into the restaurant. 

 

“Let us go.” You eagerly follow him, animatedly chatting with Genji as you all step in. They direct you where to go, and coach you on your sitting and posture. You shoot Genji a hurt glare when he laughs as you mess up, and to your surprise he stops and looks apologetic. The brothers continue to talk you through the meal, teaching you all the things you should and shouldn’t do at a meal. You’re not shocked when the food comes out, but it still uneases you to see things that your brain doesn’t automatically recognize as food. Often you have to ask either Hanzo or Genji to teach you what each food is, and how to correctly eat it. What startles you most, however, is the amount of sides each dish has. You’ve never done too well with more than three things on your plate.

 

The conversation between you three starts off awkwardly at first, you being nervous around Hanzo because he’s  _ new  _ and _ cool  _ and  _ intimidating _ . Eventually you and Hanzo relax around each other, and by the time the check comes you’re all happy and full of good food. You thank the waiter in your choppy Japanese, Genji giving you an enthusiastic “ _ Good job! _ ” and Hanzo nodding in approval. It makes you feel warm inside, your guts seeming to melt into liquid happiness. Despite only knowing Hanzo on a somewhat friendly level for a week or so, you know you’d fight to hell for him. Which is why you use more speed than necessary to grab the check before either of the Shimadas could, tucking your cash away in the sleeve.

 

“You do not need to do that, we’ve got it.” Genji reaches for the checkbook, but you hold it away from him with a passive aggressive smile on your face.

 

“No, it’s all good, you guys’ve helped me so much by getting me a place to stay. It’s only right I buy a little meal or so.” Genji’s arm makes a break for the check, and you dodge quickly. A miniature war breaks out right then and there, you trying to keep the check away from him. You’re so focused on Genji that you jump when Hanzo, faster than you can blink, has leaned over the table and snatched it out of your hands. He replaces your money with his own, and you narrow your eyes at him when he slips more money out of his wallet to join your own bills.

 

“Hey now, don’t think I didn’t see that. Put that shit back partner.” Hanzo doesn’t break eye contact from where he’s signing the receipt, retorting with practiced ease.

 

“It is no trouble, I have more than enough. Consider it babysitting money, for looking after Genji so often.” You grin and shake your head, Genji sputtering as you lean over to take the money. Under the table, you shoot a quick text to Genji.

 

**that shit’s going towards his escape fund. try that, motherfucker**

 

You hear Genji’s ringtone go off, and he checks it despite Hanzo’s ‘ _ must you look at your phone at the table _ ’, and gives you a grin when he reads your message. The feeling that blooms in your chest whenever Genji pays special attention to you rears its head, and you squash it down. Into a bottle, into a chest, on an island at the edge of the world. You’re not going to be distracted by those feelings.

 




 

You spend your days as you did before, but with less time spent looking for the muggers of Hanamura and more time with Hanzo and Genji. They had taken to you, and you to them. The old Overwatch team still texted you, and your nights were mostly occupied by talking to them over the phone, and planning the escape with the older Shimadas. You often struggled with online relationships, and this was the most friends you had in your life, so you found it a challenge to keep up with them. But given how the Shimadas of this universe were closer to your age, you found yourself spending more time with them than with your other friends.

 

In the meantime, you dedicate yourself to befriending Hanzo. You learn that Hanzo is skilled in pretty much everything, but leans towards the sword. (You try really hard to not move your face when he tells you that over dinner one day, and Genji asks about it later. You say that it’s nothing they should worry about.) He also likes to take midnight walks around his family’s estate, and doing sudoku puzzles. The two of you had bonded over a shared love of jigsaw puzzles, and had worked one out for two hours together in your hotel room. He also showed a fondness for Pachimari, and said so when he complimented the ones on your stolen shirt one day.

 

“I like your shirt. It is very cute.” You had blinked in surprise.

 

“Really? Thank you! I stole it off somebody I robbed in the streets.”

 

“What?” Good times.

 

Hanzo’s also a jackass, much in the same way Genji is. They’re both arrogant and self-centered. Hanzo has near infallible loyalty to the clan, doing anything and everything they said without question. While Genji still goes out every night to party, and on bad nights either you or Hanzo have to go fetch him from a new strangers house. They both hit each other’s buttons in the right spots to start a fight in just a few seconds. But that might just be a brother thing, you wouldn’t know, being an only child. They were both sheltered and ignorant in some cases, but you planned to help them change that, if you could. Despite their flaws, you loved the two of them all the same.

 

Most of your free time inside and outside of the gym now consisted of hanging out with the Shimadas, but you noticed they usually kept clear of the red gates that marked their home. You were thankful for it, you didn’t want to meet Sojiro or any of the clan members just yet. You also wondered how they were able to keep you a secret, given the Shimada had eyes everywhere, from what the older Hanzo had told you. Despite asking your Genji about it, he gave a vague shrug and changed the subject. Guess you’ll never know.

 

After your lunch date to the restaurant, the two of them had revealed that they had made an ID for you, along with a secret bank account only accessible to you, Genji, and Hanzo. You had cried when you found out, and Genji had wrapped you in an enormous hug, dragging Hanzo in with one of his arms. It was the most awkward and the most loving hug you had ever had.

 

-

 

Genji had dragged you and Hanzo to the arcade, claiming that Hanzo needed a ‘day off from bullshit’.  _ He’s not wrong _ , you think,  _ but he could’ve picked a better location _ . The arcade is bright, loud, and flashy, everything Genji is and Hanzo is not. You’d  tried to convince Genji to take Hanzo somewhere else, but he didn’t listen to you. Soon enough, Hanzo becomes frustrated with pretty much everything in the arcade, storming off as you trail behind him, dragging Genji along and scolding him.

 

“Listen, next time just bring your laptop or whatever over so that way we can all play Minecraft. Y’all still got Minecraft, right?” Hanzo shoots you a blank look, and you inwardly smack yourself for talking like he knows you’re from another universe. Quickly, you think of something to cover yourself with. “I mean, the thing did come out in like, 2009. Ancient game, but still fun as fuck.” You shoot Genji a look.

 

Genji nods, and saves your life with one fell swoop. “Yes, Minecraft is still around. I remember playing it when I was younger.” Relief floods your body, and you bounce your body, excited at the idea of playing Minecraft with them.

 

“Oh shit, can we? Can we play Minecraft together? Dude, Hanzo, do you wanna play Minecraft?” You notice Hanzo’s stormy mood lightening as you ramble, and even Genji seems more relaxed. It makes you smile.

 




 

You’re at a local internet cafe, seated in a corner of the shop sandwiched between Hanzo and Genji. The three of you had laptops up on the table, all courtesy of Genji, in a spot where both brothers had a full view of the doors and windows. You were all playing Minecraft, on a survival world. You had been amazed at the new updates the past fifty seven years had brought. You were disappointed at the news that Minecraft had stopped updating by it’s thirtieth anniversary, but both delighted and overwhelmed at all the new content you were able to explore.

 

“Dude, what the fuck is this biome?” Genji looks over to your screen.

 

“Hmm… I think that is the Sacred Forest biome.” You freeze up as a mob you’ve never seen before comes out of nowhere, and you desperately try to fight back against it. Genji just laughs at your peril. “Yes, that is definitely the Sacred Forest biome. Ratmants only spawn there, and they’re pretty difficult to kill. Good luck.”

 

You’re losing the battle against the new mob, when suddenly Hanzo’s character comes out of nowhere with his three dogs, and beats the absolute shit out of the thing right in front of you. You’re staring in mild shock, looking away from the screen and up to Hanzo’s face. “Holy shit dude, didn’t you pick this up, like, today?” He nods, not taking his eyes off the screen. His character leaves all the drops from the mob for you, taking off into the woods, his dogs trailing along behind him.

 

You glance at Genji, who is at the base and is attempting to build an automatic farm. He shrugs, cursing softly as the redstone doesn’t work out the way he’d hoped. “Hey Genj, need to talk the redstone shit out?” He shakes his head, and then yelps in offence as Hanzo’s character smacks him with his sword.

 

“Genji. I can get it done. Go help them with getting out of the woods.” Genji sighs, and smacks Hanzo’s character once with a his sword, muttering another curse at him. You laugh, and then yelp when another mob you don’t recognize comes out to attack you.

 




 

“Dude, you do not know how much I love jasmine flowers. They smell so nice! I’ve always wanted to try jasmine tea, but I swear to God if my stomach knows I’m drinking green tea, it immediately feels like shit.” Hanzo hums out a quiet response, gaze on the people wandering the road. You and Hanzo were walking along the southern streets of Hanamura, far away from the family estate. Genji had family business to do for once, and you were glad to have alone time with Hanzo. He was dressed casually for the first time, in a light long sleeved shirt and well-fitting jeans, his shined shoes clicking against the pavement. You were dressed in a smooth tank top, thin sweatpants you had trimmed mid thigh, and some flip flops, to give you relief against the hot weather. It was a relief to be able to wear such thin clothing and not have to worry about wearing any sort of bra anymore. Not that you did when you had breasts.

 

“Is that so? Next visit I will bring you some from the kitchens.” You ‘awww’ at him and nudge his shoulder with yours, an action your friends had come to accept as a sign of affection from you. 

 

“That’s so nice of you! Just don’t tell me if it’s green tea, though. I really don’t know why it makes me so nauseated. Maybe all I’ve ever had is really shitty green tea.” Hanzo chuckles at that, his eyes crinkling in the corner as he smiles. You shine back twice as bright, so delighted to see the cracking of his mask. Again, you were reminded of how much you love him. So you decided to tell him so.

 

“Ya’know, you and Genji mean a lot to me. Y’all have taken care of me, helped me when I needed it. I really love you guys, I’d fight to hell and back for y’all.” You rub the back of your neck in sheepishness, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be so emotionally open.  _ Fuck it, _ you thought,  _ I’m not going to do that bullshit where I hide what I feel for my friends. Except for romantic feelings. Those shalt never be spoken.  _

 

Hanzo’s looking at you with dark eyes, shock hidden on his face, but Genji’s told you about his tells, and you know what to look for. You let a smile come across your face, trying to convey all of your feelings through sight alone. The silence carries on, and you feel more and more anxious by the second. Your smile stops short and you turn your head away slightly, flexing your fingers, bringing them up to lock and unlock at your chest.

 

“It’s okay if you don’t really feel the same. I mean, I didn’t mean it in a romantic way, I just meant that you guys are like, my best friends and if I just made things really awkward between us I am going to shoot myself in the foot and then my forehead.” It’s a concerned look Hanzo is directing at you now, and you give a snort in spite of it. Hanzo clears his throat, turning to look somewhere else, breaking eye contact with you.

 

“...Thank you. Your concern is appreciated.” You’re a pretty shitty translator, but you’re sure that in Hanzo speak, that’s an  _ I care for you too _ . The happiness bursts within you, and you start walking again, passing him to bump your shoulders again. You’re continuing down the street when you catch the next few words out of his mouth. “You have a very nice smile. It makes you look very bright.” 

 

Whipping around, you take a few giant steps to where he is and wrap him in the biggest and strongest bear hug you possibly can. He wheezes and pushes slightly at your shoulders, but you’re too busy smiling at him, pure affection drawn across your entire being. After a few seconds, his arms wrap lightly around your shoulders. It’s strong and comforting, but quickly made uncomforting by the summer heat. When you pull away, you catch the scent of thunderstorms and expensive tea. It’s an echo of the Hanzo in the other universe, but you were never close enough with him to really get a gather of what he smelled like. 

 

The two of you look at each other, and now you can see the mutual affection in Hanzo’s eyes. You pat his arm, and then turn back around to continue your day trip. It’s not every day you get to hang out with Hanzo, after all.

 

“C’mon! I wanna go see if that shop you talked about is any good!”

 




 

Genji, Hanzo and you stood in the aisle of what you had eventually figured out to me Malwart, not Walmart. You and Genji had decided to have a proper ‘lets get shitty beauty products and see if they suck’ night, and were currently debating on weather to get a rose mask or a honey mask.

 

“Listen! Rose fits me so well but like, so does honey!” Genji raises one of his eyebrows, thick and perfectly trimmed. You wonder if he does them himself.

 

“Why don’t you just see which one is better for your face?”

 

“How the fuck am I supposed to know that? Also who the hell does your eyebrows, they look like a… fucking…” You struggle to think of a word, and when you do your mouth refuses to cooperate with making the right sounds. “A squeil- a squirrel!” You lean closer and inspect his eyebrows more, your face screwing up into mocking judgement. Genji laughs and shoves you away. Before he could answer, Hanzo rounds the corner with the basket, looking mildly irritated. The basket he’s carrying is filled with an assortment of nail polish, and two other face masks, a green tea peel off mask for Hanzo, and a unicorn holo mask for Genji.

 

“Whatever you two are arguing about, make it quick. I do not wish to be here any longer.” Genji quickly tosses both of the masks in his hands into the basket as Hanzo breezes past you two, and you both quickly follow. At the checkout, you are reminded that you found one of the prettiest holo nail polishes you’d ever seen, and then immediately turn to the next person to talk about it, even though its only been about ten minutes since you last mentioned them. It’s Hanzo, and you thank your lucky stars that he’s at least polite enough to not directly tell you to shut the fuck up.

 

You talk, and wait for the shutdown like you’re used to. Instead, Hanzo lets you ramble as Genji pays at self checkout, listening even though you’ve already told him all this. When you can feel the excited rush leave your body as the three of you start to head back to your hotel room, you look at Hanzo and flash him a brilliant smile. 

 

“Thanks a lot for lettin’ me talk. I’m kinda used to people like, shutting me down halfway through a word or somethin’, so thanks for listening.” Hanzo shakes his head.

 

“It is no problem. Better than anything Genji has to say, at least.” Genji’s rebuttal echos down the streets, and you and Hanzo laugh at him.

 

-

 

Genji and Hanzo lean over your shoulder as you show them pictures of your old universe, within limits. Genji is the only one who knows about your situation, and you aim to keep it that way, until you’re sure Hanzo can handle it without running off. Your bed creaks as Hanzo shifts slightly, and you adjust slightly in response. You roll in each laugh the two give every time you tell them the story related to the pictures you’re showing them.

 

“...and that’s when Hana decided to do a twenty-four hour stream, and as you can see…” you swiped left, and Genji giggled beside you. It’s a picture of Hana looking dazed on the couch, orange powder under one nose and about three inches of hair cut off. She was clutching a half-spilled soda in one hand, and a broken video game controller in the other. “...she did not end up lookin’ so hot afterwards. And that is why I only ever snort smarties, and not dorito powder.” Hanzo looks at you with concern, and Genji laughs. 

 

“It’s not that bad, I’ve certainly snorted worse.” You shake your head, reminded of how wild Genji actually is. Although, he seems to be relaxing lately. You had even heard him reject a chance to go out just to chill with you in your hotel room. All of a sudden, a reminder comes to you, and you tap your foot quickly as you attempt to get all of your energy out.

 

“Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you!” Genji looks towards you with a ‘hhm?’, and Hanzo has started to play with his own phone. “How are you able to do so much stuff and recover so quickly? That one night, I’m pretty sure all the shit you’d had should have killed you.”

 

Genji shrugs, “Oh, it’s easy. The dragon takes care of a lot of the stuff that enters my bloodstream.” There’s a clattering noise as Hanzo drops his phone, looking at Genji with shock. He looks back with a pointed expression, rolling his eyes. You suddenly feel very awkward.

 

“What? They already know about the dragons.” Hanzo interrupts quickly and ferociously.

 

“And you trust them so quickly? So readily that you’d tell them all of our family’s secrets?”

 

“Yes. I would. And I already have.” Genji’s staring right into Hanzo’s eyes, and you can feel the tension between them, but it’s muted by the fact that  _ Genji trusts you that much _ . The feelings you always try to squash down come back up, shooting throughout your entire body and making your fingers tingle, and instead of repressing it you revel in it, grinning to yourself. 

 

The feeling is quickly cut off as the sound of voices finally reaches you. Genji and Hanzo are arguing, loud but not to the point of yelling. They’re speaking in harsh Japanese, and their voices makes fear shoot through you. You hate how scared you are, and put in your earbuds and turn up the music. They continue until Genji seems to deliver a final blow, and Hanzo snaps something before storming off, giving enough thought to not slam the hotel door on his way out. Genji sits back down onto the bed, and the light mood has drastically dropped. You glance over at him, and despite the anxiety coursing through your veins, you lay a hand on his arm. He looks back at you, and you give a shaky grin.

 

“Hey. I, uhm, really like that you trust me so much.” He smiles back at you, and covers your hand with his own, making your feelings jump in your chest.

 

“You already knew about the dragons in the beginning, but I do mean it. I trust you.” He ducks his head, suddenly bashful. A faint blush arises on his cheeks. “You’re my best friend. I trust you with my life.” You immediately lean over and wrap him in a hug, and he immediately squeezes back. It’s warm, and surrounded with love and the smell of tornadoes. 

 

The two of you stay like that for a long while, letting go only when you shrug back and reach for your phone. Checking the time, you give him a sly grin.

 

“You wanna meet my friends in another universe? The times are matched up by now.” His eyes widen, and you nod. You hand over one of your earbuds, and he takes it the same time he speaks.

“Hell yes!” You laugh, and immediately call Lena. She’s the one you trust to answer most, and she immediately picks up with a bright smile.

 

“‘Ello love! How are yo- OH! Who’s this? Is this Genji? Hi Genji! Everybody, come look!” You hear a shout of your name, and soon the chaos that comes with half of the base answering one video call flows out of your earbuds. Genji looks at you, and it’s the first time you’ve seen real anxiety on his face. You laugh at him, the feeling of happiness rolling through your body. Soon, the entire base is crowded in the recon room, and Lena’s plugged in her phone so the call is shown over the TV, and you and Genji have a good look at everyone who’s there. Hana shouts for someone to get Hanzo, and before you can say anything, Lucio is up and out of his seat, already skating down the hall. You heave a sigh.

 

“Y’all, I don’t think that this is gonna turn out well. But hey! Hi everybody! How’s it going?” Everyone screams their hello, and Genji laughs beside you. “As you all can see, I’m here with the other Genji!” Genji waves, and gives a smile that you’ve come to recognize as his ‘I am trying to impress you’ smile.

 

“Hello everyone! Wow, you are all much louder than I thought you’d be.” Everyone laughs at that, and the warmth in your chest intensifies. Conversation flows between you all, everyone having a different question, and Genji preened under the attention. You noticed how his attention kept snagging on his other self, and you didn’t blame him. Everything was nice, until Hanzo walked in, Lucio in tow. He froze in the doorway, and you immediately cringed, and cringed harder when you remembered everyone can see you cringe. 

 

There is a long moment of silence, as Hanzo takes in what he’s seeing, and you look at your Genji and immediately know that he’s about to say some dumb shit.

 

“I mean, they told me you’d look like a villian with the goatee, but you  _ really _ look like a villain with the goatee. It suits you.” Someone snorts, and the awkwardness is broken as Hano chuckles. 

 

“Thank you. As always, you look absolutely horrendous with that hair. At least the green was preferable.” Genji runs a hand through his neon pink locks as the room bursts into laughter. 

 

“You know, I am considering getting an undercut.” You gasp, and turn to look at him.

 

“Oh, that’s a good idea!”

 

Everyone starts chattering amongst themselves, and you and Genji answer questions and keep up with the conversation as much as you can. Genji’s obviously a crowd favorite, and he entertains them with stories you know the older Genji never told, given by the crowd’s reactions. They all ask about your time together, tossing around questions like; ‘ _ How do you like Japan _ ?’, ‘ _ What is your favorite part of the city _ ?’, ‘ _ Why are you always talking about claw machine championships _ ?’, ‘ _ So are you and Genji, like, dating _ ?’ (That one had been said by Hana with a knowing smirk, and both you and Genji had flushed red. Both you and him denied any romantic involvement, despite how disappointment stabbed in your chest at every word.)

 

Eventually you grow tired, and state as much with a quick goodnight, and hand your earbud to Genji and get off the bed. You run through your bedtime routine of brushing your teeth, washing your face, and contemplating all of your life decisions as you stare at your reflection in the mirror. When you’re finished you take off your pants and jacket, and slip into bed with only your oversized shirt on. You mumble a goodnight, and chuckle to the sounds of wolf-whistling coming from the headphones, obviously somebody got a peek at what you were wearing. It doesn’t bother you, after a few midnight incidents pretty much everyone on base had seen everyone else in their underwear.

 

You try to drift off, and by the time you’re sleepy enough to pass out, you can hear McCree talking to Genji in low tones through the phone. You smile as you realize it’s the ‘hurt them and I’ll kick your ass’ talk McCree promised to give him one day. What a dad. You snuggle into your blankets harder, feeling the warmth from Genji’s legs soak into your body, and drift away.

 

You wake up alone, but your phone is plugged in next to you. When you check it, there is multiple pictures from your family, and even more of you sleeping, with stickers and heart emojis everywhere. They’re all posted to the big group chat, and you flush slightly with embarrassment. You’ve also got an apology text from your Hanzo, and you send him a quick ‘no prob <3’. You’ve also got a text from both Genjis.

 

**Gayji <3**

**Yo, me and the other dude talked. We should go out soon. Like, soon soon**

 

It’s weird, Genji doesn’t normally text like that. You also notice that your previous texts are cleared. When you read the other Genji’s texts, it makes sense.

 

**Gunji**

**It is time. You must get them out quickly. Genji confessed to me last night that the clan is getting suspicious. Watch where you are going, and good luck. We are with you! <3**

 

**well shitfuck. thanks for the heads up, chief!**

  
You heave out a sigh, and rub your forehead with your hands. You glance at the clock, moaning when you look at the time.  _ 7:30 AM is too early to deal with this bullshit _ . But nonetheless, you resign yourself to a day of planning, science, and politics too complicated to wrap your head around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am aware it feels rushed. i kinda just wanted to crank this shit out, just to update again for the first time in forever so i can stay engaged with it. its just kind of hard to write through all the boring parts of the fic lol. the good stuff is when we meet jesse, and that'll be uber fun to write!! but for now yall get my shit story lmao  
> thanks for reading and please please PLEASE comment. they make me write, real shit. if you want faster updates, pls comment lol <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry i havent been updating!!! i moved like two weeks ago and we're trying to get our shit together. 
> 
> also note: do NOT ever fly with frontier airlines. i bought tickets to go see the game grumps two months ago, and yesterday was going to be the show date. first, the plane was delayed an hour, we made it to the runfield and had to turn around bc a light wasn't working right, then we had to wait for the weather. we made it out to the runway AGAIN and then somebody had an asthma attack, making us turn back around (flight was delayed four hours by this point, but if we took off i could have made it) but because somebody claimed it was because of 'noxious gas' the whole flight was canceled. there were no other flights to denver. i had vip, non refundable, second row tickets. the bitchy staff who didnt do anything but hand us a piece of paper and basically told us to fuck off got to stare at me as i full on sobbed in the airport. so yeah, fuck those guys for making me miss out on the thing i have been the most excited for in my life!!!

Your chest heaved, legs aching as you ran as fast as you could. Plane tickets clutched in one hand, Genji’s in the other as you dodged through streets and alleyways. 

 

“Do you think we lost them? Actually, do you know where the fuck we are?” You called out to him, losing your breath a few times as you rounded another corner.

 

Genji and you stopped for a second, him looking around and clutching your hand tighter. “Yes, the airport is a few streets over. Do you still have the tickets? Did you lose any?”

 

You quickly looked through them, counting twice just to make sure. “Yes, I got all three.” You hummed as you were reminded of Hanzo, memories flashing quickly. 

 

_ Genji and you were curled up on your bed, his laptop open on your lap. You were clutching his arm in excitement, rapidly patting the bedsheets with your other hand as Genji picked out the flight tickets. As you saw him select the amount of tickets, you realized something important. _

 

_ “Three.” Genji looked at you in confusion. “Make it three tickets.” He caught on, giving you a pointed look. You shot one back, eyebrows raising to emphasise your point. “Hanzo could change his mind. If Steven can dismantle an entire hierarchy in ten minutes, Hanzo can change his mind at the last ten seconds.” _

 

_ Genji looked at you with even more confusion, but selected three tickets anyways. You shook your head, but patted his arm in a silent thank you. “Old show reference. Remind me to make you watch Steven Universe, it’s really good.” He nodded, and continued with the ticket paying process. _

 

You’re jerked out of your memory as Genji readjusts his grip on your hand and begins to tug you along, panic starting to show on his features. You stumble along, fear and adrenaline racing through you. You’ve long past the point of being nervous about what the Shimada clan would to do you if they found you, and instead you try to plan out how to get through the airport as quickly as possible. Your footsteps, quiet and light, feel like thunder in your ears as you and Genji escape as fast as you can while still being stealthy.

 

It takes another ten minutes of running before reaching the airport, you and Genji nearly whooping in joy as the doors glide open for you two as you rush in. Disappointment shoots through you as you remember that you’re leaving  _ without Hanzo _ , but there is no time to mourn, you have people on your tail and you have to disappear. When you check in, you blanch at the fact that you now only have two tickets, most likely having dropped one in the chase. You and Genji check in, and you mourn for the lost ticket.

 

Security is the worst. You have sweat dripping down your back as you stand in line, worrying about not only the people after you, but the giant sword hidden in one of the duffel bags. Genji had sworn up and down to you that everything would be okay, that he could hide it. Before packing it, he had wrapped both it and six cases of ninja stars in a strange fabric, one that could apparently block out the X-rays used. Sure enough, all of your bags went through without a hitch. Once inside the airport, both you and Genji relax a little bit, your flight not being for another thirty minutes. 

 

You and Genji marvel at all of the shops and restaurants inside the Hanamura airport. Being a fairly large airport, it sees it’s fair share of style, and you and Genji admire every store on the way to the bathrooms. You part at the entrance to the public bathrooms, laughing at Genji’s face at the smell coming from the men’s room. 

 

You do your business and wash up, and exiting only to bump into someone immediately. You apologize, until you look up and its Hanzo, staring at you with slightly nervous eyes, shifting on his feet and dressed in the darkest, most casual clothes you’ve ever seen on him.

 

“Hanzo?” You question, moving your arm to pat his hand, the one that’s tightly gripping a sleek suitcase. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to come.”

 

He shook his head, perfect hair moving out of place. “Take me with you,” he outright  _ begged _ , “Please. I do not wish to stay with the clan anymore, I don’t think that I…” He trails off with a look, one that you’d never seen before. Before he could speak again, you’re hugging him tightly, murmuring into his loose hoodie.

 

“It’s okay, buddy.” You say into his chest. “We’re gonna get’chu outta here. We’re gonna leave, and we aren’t gonna let those motherfuckers stop us.” You grasp his hand tightly, and give him another hug. 

 

Genji steps out of the restroom, and immediately catches sight of you wrapped around Hanzo. He doesn’t get a word out before you’re interrupting him, grabbing both his and Hanzo’s hands as you speak. “He’s coming with us!”

 

You drag them down to the gates, looking back at your ticket to make sure you’re in the right area. Genji and Hanzo walk in silence behind you, brisk paces made to keep up with your quick stride. Once you reach your area, you flop down into a chair with a sigh, listening as Hanzo and Genji settle into either side of you. The three of you sit in silence, the hum of the airport filling in the need for conversation, but something feels off. Remembering what it was, you shift your body over to Hanzo. He looked as if he was a thousand miles away, no doubt in discord over leaving the clan.

 

“Hey, how did you get in here, anyways? Like, did you buy a ticket on the fly, or…?” He shook his head, and dipped his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a ticket. One of your tickets.

 

“You dropped this.” Mouth shaping into a surprised ‘o’, you furrow your eyebrows.

 

“Why were you following us, anyways?” You chuckle, “Did Daddy Sojiro send you after us?” 

 

“No.” Hanzo said, putting his ticket back into his pocket. “I left of my own will. Please do not ever call my father that again.” Genji’s head shot over, and your eyebrows shot to your hairline even as you chuckle. Genji looked as if he was about to say something that would definitely spark an argument, so you smacked him on the shoulder and shot him a look that said ‘shut your mouth’.

 

Laying a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder, you rub the muscle affectionately. “Listen, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. And I’ll listen if you do. Either way, I’m here to support you.” You watch him relax, arm becoming more malleable under your touch. You let out a big sigh, other hand drifting to find Genji’s, holding onto your two boys tightly. “All we’ve got is each other, now.”

 




 

The plane ride is long and tiring. You’re all used to seven hour plane rides, but Genji and Hanzo had never been on a public plane before. You were all too delighted to introduce them to every problem with riding on a public airplane. Hanzo had been surprised at the wait time to get in, and the both of them had blanched at the amount of leg room. You shrugged, it had a TV and cushioned seats, you were good.

 

The both of them complained the whole trip, constantly wiggling to get comfortable. They were appalled at the low quality of the food, and only ate after you, notorious for being very cautious of your food quality, had dug in. During the plane ride, you were delighted to see some of the movies and shows you recognized, even if they were tweaked a little bit. The three of you decided to watch a movie together, and cozied into your seats as best you could while sharing headphones.

 

Finally, after seven long, tiring hours, the three of you had arrived in America. Texas, to be specific. You had wanted them to come to a place you somewhat knew, and Soldier 76 may or may have not mentioned there being an Overwatch base near Dallas. 

 

After collecting your baggage, you ran for the exit, breathing in the hot, dry air. You grinned, a smile stretched on your face. “Home sweet home, baby!” You called out to your friends, eyes delighted with the fact that you were back in your home country. They trailed after you, and you spun around, arms wide open, going until Genji crashed into you, picking you up and spinning you around. The two of you shrieked, Genji’s happiness at finally tasting freedom leaking into you.

 

He set you down so you could walk to the rental cars, picking out one that was cheap enough to get you to the car dealership. The brothers had stockpiled and stolen enough money from their clan to buy at least four brand new decent cars and a house, but you all had only decided on two cars. (“Listen,” you said, “we’re gonna need the extra cash. The American healthcare is still pretty fucked up, and insurance is a lot more expensive than you think.”) Genji had wanted a motorbike, and you two and agreed on the fact that it was cheaper than a second car.

 

The three of you left in a brand new SUV that Hanzo had bargained a great price for, in a beautiful shade of blue you absolutely adored. You had wanted something big, just in case the three of you were left sleeping in it anytime soon.

 

“Why are you the one to drive?” Genji had questioned you, settling into the backseat with Hanzo. You glanced at him through the rearview mirror, taking silent delight at the action. 

 

“Because I’m the only one who knows how to drive on American roads. Plus, I’ve been in this state before, so I know partly where I’m going.” You braked harder than you meant to, everybody launching forwards and being tugged back by the seatbelt. “Sorry! Still getting used to driving this car. Or hovercars in general. Fucking quick ass brakes…” You muttered to yourself, focusing on the road. 

 

By the time the three of you stopped for lunch, you’d driven for about two hours. With breaks, because you kept getting nervous driving a new car. Genji and Hanzo bickered about where to eat, before you pulled them into an IHop just to shut them up.

 

You scouted apartments and travel routes over pancakes and coffee, even Hanzo drinking some due to the stress of the past sixteen or so hours. You were all bone tired, not having slept except for a short nap on the plane. The pancakes rejuvenated you, and the coffee gave you enough energy to drive to an apartment building over two hours in a small town. You had rejected being in the big city, saying it would be easier for the Shimadas to find them. While that was true, you mostly didn’t want to live in a big city. Too many people, not enough trees. You valued your nature. Although, nearly thirty years of war does stuff to the greenery of the land, and the three of you would be searching for a while.

 

That night, you all did have to sleep in your car, laying the back seats down and placing your thermal blankets down, along with the complementary uncomfortable airplane blankets. The brothers were willing to forego pillows and sleep on the hard floor, but you were tired and weren’t going to have that shit. You dragged your head to rest on Genji’s arm, thankful for the thick muscle that made a decent cushion for you. Your inhibitions were lowered enough for you to stick your legs to rest on Hanzo, and lucky enough for you, he was also tired enough to simply accept it, and fall straight asleep. You all fell asleep, cuddled up with each other and your luggage, warm and cozy in the back of your car.

 

It was the most restful sleep you’d had in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank yall so much for the comments!!! ive been trying to write when i can lol
> 
> im getting hyperfixated on good omens atm, so updates to my other fics might be very slow. but!!! this is when poems and promises starts getting good and i get to write genji and hanzo exploring freedom!!! and them doing dumb shit bc they missed out on doing real dumb teenage shit!!! 
> 
> again, thanks for commenting. i have so many nice ones, im gonna print them all out and frame them on my wall :3


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